Effect of Covid-19 Lockdown Measures on Rice Marketing
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The main objective of the study is to examine the effect of covid-19 lockdown measures on rice marketing. Specifically, the study aims
- To evaluate the socio-economics characteristics of rice marketer.
- to ascertain the lockdown measures.
- Examine the effect on the volume.
- identify the challenges face by marketers
- identify the coping strategy
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literatures that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
Precisely, the chapter will be considered in three sub-headings:
- Conceptual Framework
- Theoretical Framework, and
- Empirical Review
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Origin of Covid-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 is a pandemic disease. As of January 24, 2020, at least 830 cases were diagnosed in the China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, United States and Nepal in which twenty-six fatalities occurred, mainly in patients who had serious underlying illness [SARS-CoV-2, 2020]. Therefore, many details of the emergence of COVID-19 such as its origin and ability to spread among humans remain unknown, an increasing number of cases day by day appear to have resulted from human to human transmission [SARS-CoV-2, 2020]. China quickly responded and informed to World Health Organization for the outbreak and sharing sequence information with the international community after discovery of the causative agent. Quickly World Health Organization responds and coordinating diagnostic development and issuing guideline on patient monitoring, treatment and providing up to date information on the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, several countries are screening travelers from Wuhan for detect COVID-19 cases. All the airports in different countries including India put in screening mechanisms to detect infected people which returning from China or any other places. Countries including India who evacuated their citizens from Wuhan through special flights or had travelers returning from China placed all people symptomatic or otherwise in isolation for 14 day and tested them for the Coronavirus [UNESCO.org]. In fact on 12th February 2020, China changed the definition of confirmed cases of Coronavirus on the basis of the molecular tests but with radiological, clinical and epidemiologic features of COVID-19 leading to an increase in cases by 15,000 in a single day [UNESCO.org].
Mode of Transmission
People can be infected from COVID-19 through close contact with people who have symptoms of the virus which includes sneezing and cough. However, Coronavirus are generally spread via airborne zoonotic droplets and its replicate in ciliated epithelium which caused cellular damage and infection at infection site.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine the effect of covid-19 lockdown measures on rice marketing. Selected Rice marketers in Ebonyi State forms the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of Ninty-five (95) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which 80 were returned.
From the table above 48 (60%) respondents are male, while 32 (40%) are female. The table shows that there are more males than females among the respondent in the local government selected for the study.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on the effect of covid-19 lockdown measures on rice marketing, Ebonyi State as case study. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was on the effect of covid-19 lockdown measures on rice marketing, Ebonyi State as case study. The study is was specifically focused on examining the socio-economics characteristics of rice marketer, also to ascertain the lockdown measures, it aimed to Examine the effect on the volume, identifying the challenges face by marketers, identifing also the coping strategy.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 80 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are rice marketers in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
Conclusions
With respect to the analysis and the findings of this study, the following conclusions emerged;
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a great effect on the entire rice value chain, confirming in the most terrible way that we are all part of a rice value-chain system that is interconnected and fragile and that solutions must be developed together. Rice farming has been recognized almost worldwide as an essential activity and farmers were asked to keep on working, even harder, to cope up with this new challenge. Nevertheless, each component of the rice value-chain system has an impact on farming activities, so each bottleneck occurring somewhere on the rice value-chain system, is having an impact on farmers livelihood, farm yield and farm income. Countries lock-down and borders’ closures are strongly impacting rice farmers’ access to input like seeds, fertilizers and agrochemicals. In Nigeria, while rice farmers are still battling the negative impact of climate change and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new risk that not only threatens farmers livelihoods but also the most important global food security crop “Rice”. Every farming season in Nigeria, rice farmers face risks such as low rainfall, price volatility, methane emissions, rising debts and poor government policies. But the present risks from the COVID-19 pandemic are putting new challenges in front of rice value-chain that is already under serious threat.
This result strongly confirmed that COVID-19 pandemic is seriously affecting rice farmers in the area. A very salient finding was that COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting activities in rice value-chains (x̄ =≥3.11). Result show that the non- availability of labour is interrupting planting, harvesting and distribution activities of rice (x̄ =≥3.32). There are disruptions in supply chains for purchase of inputs because of poor transportation system and partial lockdown (x̄ =≥3.12). Rice farmers are also paying more on inputs (x̄ =≥3.43). Result also shows that extension visits to farmers have been seriously and market access limited (x̄ =≥3.44) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With its far- reaching geographical spread, the findings confirmed the study of [24] which reported that the pandemic is projected to have devastating effects on the global economy, as attested by the projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in April 2020 that the world economy would contract sharply by 3.00%, and that the economy of sub-Saharan Africa would contract by 1.60% in 2020. The finding in Figure 8 shows farmers’ barriers in mitigating the effect of COVID-19 pandemic in rice farming in the area. The finding reveals that about 99.82% of the farmers identified inadequate information. This could be attributed to the dearth in research on COVID-19 pandemic mitigation strategies for rice farmers as well as lack of information on clarity on the actionable guidance and precautionary measures by World Health Organization (WHO), Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and local health authority. This constraint left the farmers unable to get the much-needed information on COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable rice farming. In the present information age, inadequate information could pose serious challenges to the farmers’ coping strategies as they may not be aware of recent developments regarding COVID-19 pandemic, mitigation strategies and the necessary re-adjustments needed. Meanwhile, crop farmers have been badly hit due to misinformation, particularly on social media, that crops and animals are the carriers of COVID-19. Also, poor/inadequate information on COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable strategies for rice farming may rise the food insecurity situation and lead to unsustainable rice production overtime.
Recommendation
Based on the findings the researcher recommends that;
- The study identified inadequate and misinformation as one of the barriers farmers complained about, therefore, it is important that the government should intensify mass mobilization campaign against COVID-19 pandemic alongside the community leaders and extension agents to reduce, if not eliminate the spread of the deadly virus.
- The study authenticated the importance of linking education to the mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic in improving understanding, farm yield, farm income, the standard of living of the rice farmers. Therefore, it is necessary for the rice farmers on their owe should enrol for adult education to increase their ability and flexibility to change in production strategies in response to COVID-19 pandemic.
- Rice production-related constraints such as labour and other inputs mainly hindered farmers from mitigating the effect of COVID-19 effectively. Labour and input are in high demand and cost now due to restrictions. Therefore, the government must also design policy in such a way that farmers’ should have access to affordable credit, farm labour as well as subsidized input to increase their rice production, the standard of living as well as encourage more farmers to go into rice farming.
- Effective agricultural policies and programmes should focus on how to intensify awareness on COVID- 19 pandemic in rice farm as well as its mitigation strategies. This should be done through strengthened agricultural extension service delivery.
- Agricultural extension agents can offer support during uncertainty and sudden changes that come with the pandemic, and strategies to bounce back from shocks and enhance resilience. Therefore, capacity strengthening, the right tools and channels are necessary to provide tailored effective agricultural extension agents messages. The government should strengthen agricultural extension agents’ service delivery.
- It is important to protect the community where these rice farmers are domiciled from exposure to the infection, all residents in the potential risk areas should be encouraged to stay at home, which is one of the most effective ways of blocking the transmission routes. Local community health workers and volunteers, after the specific training, should be encouraged to proactively participate in screening the suspicious infections and help in implementing proper quarantine measures by providing support services, such as driving patients to the mobile hospitals. All those activities should logistically be managed at the community level.
- The finding observed that there is distrust between the government and farmers. Farmers do not trust the government on the issue of COVID-19 pandemic. Some farmers still do not believe that there is even COVID-19. Therefore, it is important that the government should show transparent and accountable leadership so as to get full farmers to support in implementing strategies.
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