One Step Behind: The Government of India and Agricultural Policy During the Covid-19 Lockdown

This paper reviews the Indian state's response to the disruption in agri-food supply chains triggered by the lockdown as revealed in notifications pertaining to the agricultural sector. This paper contends that though many notifications and orders did not percolate to State and local-level administrative enforcement mechanisms, the greater problem was the absence of coordination between the Centre and States. Our analysis suggests that State Governments better managed the situation and in tackling many issues pertaining to agri-food supply chains, took action before the Centre did. The Centre's actions were not only a step behind but also largely uncoordinated with State initiatives. This disjunction was not addressed, and the ensuing chaos was therefore unsurprising. This experience highlights the importance of better Centre-State coordination and offers lessons for both future emergencies and structural reform in agriculture.