Even as the Government permitted movement of goods and essential activities, the restriction on human movement has badly hit functioning of agriculture-based industries.
Non-availability of workers and agriculture labourers due to restricted human movement during lockdown has affected execution of farming and allied sector activities.
This was viewed by the participants and panelists at a webinar on “Issues of Agri-based Industries and Food Processing Sector in the face of COVID-19 crisis” organised by the Odisha State Council recently.
Chairperson of FICCI Odisha Council Monica Nayyar Patnaik and Chairman of FICCI Odisha MSME Committee JK Rath highlighted the issues of agri-based industries and MSMEs in the food processing and essential commodities sectors. Even if many of the activities are relaxed during lockdown, the migration of workforce and non-availability of adequate number of labourers to ensure basic operation of such industries has caused a difficult situation.
The key allied sector industries of agriculture such as, jute industry, seed packaging, vegetable farming, poultry and pond fishing which are badly affected due to shortage of manpower and thereby causing huge burden to the farmers and MSME entrepreneurs.
Among others, Managing Director of Agriculture Promotion and Investment Promotion of Odisha Ltd (APICOL) Prof PK Roul and Additional Secretary, MSME Department UN Das spoke.
