Farm sentiments have remained buoyant mainly driven by healthy monsoon and further optimism of a good kharif crop, according to a report.
Agriculture income is likely to benefit over the medium term aided by increased government focus on rural income coupled with the recently introduced farm reforms, Icra Ratings said in the report.
Moreover, it said the rural household incomes have stayed resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and have been supported by healthy farm cash flows across regions, aided by high levels of rabi procurement under various government schemes after a season of bumper harvest.
Further, increased government support through schemes like MNREGA and PM-KISAN have helped in creating employment and easing liquidity pressure on rural incomes, brought about by large scale reverse migration from urban to rural areas post the imposition of the nationwide lockdown, it added.
“While the sudden imposition of nationwide lockdown had led to fears of disruption in the Rabi procurement process, the same was mitigated by prompt lifting of restrictions by the government for agricultural activities.
“This, along with significant increase in spending on social welfare schemes during the first quarter of FY21 helped in absorbing the excess labour availability in rural areas created by reverse migration,” the ratings agency’s Vice Pesident Shamsher Dewan said.
Further, timely and healthy monsoon rain across regions and labour availability has supported early kharif sowing with its acreage at record highs during the current year, the report added.