The trickle-down effect of COVID-19 which starts with hotels and resorts affects other sectors such as agriculture.

The trickle-down effect of COVID-19 which starts with hotels and resorts affects other sectors such as agriculture.

Sigatoka based farmer Sanjay Prasad says their largest buyer was from the hospitality industry and with no signs of tourists returning soon, he doesn’t expect the demand to improve.

Prasad says farmers like him don’t have any negotiating power anymore because sometimes there is only one buyer, offering one price.

“We have been affected badly because fewer items are going out of the country. Our product goes to the local markets where we don’t get many benefits.”

Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy says the expansion of the market for the primary commodity has a limit.

“Beyond that limit, you have to move from commodities to the product. That has a huge room to increase the market which will be able to take on the additional product that we are looking at.”

Dr Reddy adds many farmers have diversified and are now producing vegetables which are in demand.