Outbreak of COVID-19: Impact on Socio-Economic Condition of Shrimp Farmers in South-West Coastal Bangladesh

Abstract

Aims: The study investigated the impacts of COVID-19 on livelihood status of coastal Shrimp farmers using farm size, production and income of South-west Bangladesh. Study Design: This study is empirical in its design. Data on socio-economic factors were collected randomly from selected Shrimp farmers.  Both open and closed ended questionnaire and directed to the Shrimp farmers of South-west coastal region of Bangladesh. Place and Duration of Study: The present study was carried out at Khulna district (seven selected Shrimp farming locations; viz., Paikgacha, Lasker, Goroikhali, Lata, Kapilmuni, Amadi and Koyra) of Bangladesh for a period of five months during pandemic of COVID-19 (April-August, 2020). Methodology: The key data were collected from face to face interview of 120 respondents. A brief outline about the nature and aim of the study was given to each respondent before the interview was commenced. The information of the respondents were written in the questionnaire immediately after completing the interview. Collected data were tabulated and analyzed using Microsoft Excel (version 2016). Results: Most of the respondents were middle aged (68 %) and living in nuclear families (71 %). Majority of the Shrimp farmers were illiterate (53 %). A greater proportion (66 %) involved in small scale Shrimp farming as a primary occupation followed by moderate (27 %) and large scale (7 %) Shrimp farming. More than half of the respondents earned >20000 BDT (USD$ 1 = 85 BDT) in each month before the pandemic. The production activities were seriously hampered due to unavailability of inputs including aquamedicine, disinfectants, labor crisis, seed and feed, growing the price of production materials and interrupted communication etc. due to the pandemic. However the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic reduced the production from their Shrimp ghers, drastically curtailed the market price, and consequently greatly compressed their income and livelihoods. Conclusion: The pandemic known as COVID-19 has had a catastrophic impact on human activities, with the Shrimp farming sector being no exception. This study revealed that the socio-economic and income status of the Shrimp farmers was noticeably vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, large numbers of farmer families were unable to fulfill their minimum needs (food, income, and medical care).