Table 2. Perceived impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on food production and access among indigenous communities of Jharkhand, India.
| Components | Lockdown phase (May-June, 2020), n (%) |
Unlock phase (Sept-Oct, 2020), n (%) |
p value† | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All indigenous communities (N = 152) |
Sauria Paharia (N = 49) |
Santhal (N = 35) |
Munda (N = 68) |
All indigenous communities (N = 151) |
Sauria Paharia (N = 72) |
Santhal (N = 20) |
Munda (N = 59) |
||
| Change in overall food production | 12 (7.9) | 3 (6.1) | 5 (14.3) | 4 (5.9) | 4 (2.7) | – | 1 (5) | 3 (5.1) | 0.394 |
| Type of change | |||||||||
| 1. Negative impact$ | 11 (7.2) | 3 (6.1) | 5 (14.3) | 3 (4.4) | 2 (1.4) | – | – | 2 (3.4) | |
| 2. Positive impact$ | 1 (0.7) | – | – | 1 (1.5) | 2 (1.4) | – | 1 (5) | 1 (1.7) | |
| Changes in sale of farm produce | 66 (43.5) | 33 (67.4) | 12 (34.3) | 21 (30.9) | 60 (39.8) | 39 (54.2) | 7 (35) | 14 (23.8) | 0.55 |
| Type of change * | |||||||||
| 1. Distress selling | 50 (32.9) | 28 (57.1) | 8 (22.9) | 14 (20.6) | – | – | – | – | |
| 2. Selling at higher prices | – | – | – | – | 47 (31.2) | 36 (50) | 5 (25) | 6 (10.2) | |
| 3. Reduced sales | 38 (23.9) | 10 (20.4) | 11 (31.4) | 17 (25.0) | 11 (7.3) | 2 (2.8) | 2 (10) | 7 (11.9) | |
| 4. Increased sales | – | – | – | – | 3 (2) | 1 (1.4) | – | 2 (3.4) | |
| Change in farming schedule | 47 (30.9) | 39 (79.6) | 5 (14.3) | 3 (4.4) | 35 (23.2) | 32 (44.4) | 2 (10) | 1 (1.7) | 0.111 |
| Type of change | |||||||||
| 1. Early sowing | 38 (25) | 35 (71.5) | 3 (8.6) | – | 3 (2) | 1 (1.4) | 2 (10) | – | |
| 2. Delayed sowing | 8 (5.3) | 3 (6.2) | 2 (5.8) | 3 (4.4) | 1 (0.7) | – | – | 1 (1.7) | |
| 3. Not sowing | 1 (0.7) | 1 (2.1) | – | – | 31 (20.6) | 31 (43.1) | – | – | |
| Reduced access to farm inputs | 74 (48.7) | 6 (12.2) | 21 (60) | 47 (69.1) | 35 (23.2) | – | 7 (35) | 28 (47.5) | 0.223 |
| Reasons* | |||||||||
| 1. Inability to purchase seeds | 60 (39.5) | 6 (12.2) | 19 (54.3) | 35 (51.5) | 21 (14) | – | 5 (25) | 16 (27.2) | |
| 2. Inability to purchase fertilizer | 51 (33.6) | – | 12 (34.3) | 39 (57.4) | 32 (21.2) | – | 6 (30) | 26 (44.1) | |
| 3. Inability to purchase seeds and fertilizers | 43 (28.3) | – | 10 (28.6) | 33 (48.6) | 19 (12.6) | – | 4 (20) | 15 (25.5) | |
| 4. Reduced access to labor | 22 (14.5) | – | 6 (17.2) | 16 (23.6) | 7 (4.7) | – | 1 (5) | 6 (10.2) | |
| Concern over future impact of COVID-19 on farming | 0.192 | ||||||||
| Ability to purchase seeds | 72 (47.4) | 7 (14.3) | 20 (57.1) | 45 (66.2) | 33 (22.2) | – | 6 (30) | 27 (47.4) | |
| Ability to procure farm inputs | 37 (24.3) | 2 (4.1) | 13 (37.1) | 22 (32.3) | 17 (11.5) | – | 7 (35) | 10 (17.6) | |
| Ability to sell crops | 82 (53.9) | 18 (36.7) | 15 (42.9) | 49 (72.1) | 98 (65.8) | 64 (88.9) | 8 (40) | 26 (45.7) | |
| Availability of manual labor | 35 (23) | 2 (4.1) | 13 (37.1) | 20 (29.4) | 6 (4.1) | – | 2 (10) | 4 (7.1) | |
| Changes in food access | 0.951 | ||||||||
| 1. Easier | 37 (24.4) | 11 (22.4) | 7 (20) | 19 (27.9) | 27 (17.9) | 7 (9.7) | 3 (15) | 17 (28.8) | |
| 2. Harder | 54 (35.5) | 12 (24.5) | 13 (37.1) | 29 (42.7) | 22 (14.6) | (5.6) | 6 (30) | 12 (20.3) | |
| 3. Same as before | 61 (40.1) | 26 (53.1) | 15 (42.9) | 20 (29.4) | 102 (67.5) | 61 (84.7) | 11 (55) | 30 (50.9) | |
| Change in food prices | 136 (23.7) | 45 (91.8) | 28 (80) | 63 (92.7) | 137 (90.7) | 68 (94.4) | 12 (60) | 57 (96.6) | 0.659 |
| Change in sources of food access | 95 (62.5) | 19 (38.8) | 28 (80) | 48 (70.6) | 37 (24.5) | – | 7 (35) | 30 (50.8) | 0.199 |
| Changes in diet | 66 (43.4) | 37 (75.5) | 17 (48.6) | 12 (17.6) | 33 (21.9) | 17 (23.6) | 4 (20) | 12 (20.3) | 0.866 |
| Reduced HH income | 117 (77) | 42 (85.7) | 28 (80) | 47 (69.1) | 64 (42.4) | 31 (43.1) | 7 (35) | 26 (44.1) | 0.307 |
| Reason for change * | |||||||||
| 1. Less opportunities for daily wage laboring | 68 (44.7) | 21 (42.9) | 14 (40) | 33 (48.5) | 37 (24.6) | 26 (36.2) | 4 (20) | 7 (11.9) | |
| 2. Reduced sale of farm produce in local markets | 54 (35.5) | 27 (55.1) | 15 (42.9) | 12 (17.6) | 25 (16.6) | 8 (11.2) | 4 (20) | 13 (22.1) | |
| 3. Others (reduced business, lack of transport, fear of infection, migration) | 2 (1.3) | 1 (2) | – | 1 (1.5) | 9 (6) | – | 2 (10) | 7 (11.9) | |
†
Chi-square test was used to determine the differences between lockdown (N = 152) and unlock (N = 151) phases.
*
Multiple reasons were reported.
$
Negative impact of COVID-19 on food production include delayed/early cultivation, high prices of seeds and farm equipment, shortage of labor and manure, etc. whereas positive impact includes more production.
HH, household.