Suman Chowdhury, Chief Analytical Officer, Acuité Ratings & Research on the recent locusts' attack and its impact on agriculture:
"While the Covid lockdown disrupted the economy that had already slowed down in FY20, one silver lining has been a healthy growth in the agricultural sector on the back of a robust rabi crop output and the expectation of a good kharif season. The current locust attack in some of the western and northern states may not have any immediate impact on the primary crops since the rabi harvest has been largely completed and the sowing for kharif is yet to commence fully. However, there may be a moderate damage to the horticultural crops in some of the states. There can be an impact on the production of kharif crops such as cotton and pulses if the pest attack is not controlled effectively over the next few months with the onset of monsoon." |
