COVID-19 Situational Analysis: The Effect on Households and Market Systems in the Livestock Sector

The survey involved collecting data from 100 households and 90 market actors in key zones of influence in Bangladesh. The research team used a convenience sampling approach, balancing male and female participation across interviewees, although males predominated in private sector roles. The survey aimed to capture the impact of COVID-19 on various aspects of the food and livestock market systems, including household-level effects, productivity, income and marketing of livestock products, nutrition and food security, gender, household resilience, and market systems. The survey included indicators related to the structural and behavioral characteristics of the livestock market system, as well as subjective measures such as self-reported perceptions on the ability to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from the crisis. The survey found that COVID-19 had a significant impact on livestock productivity in Bangladesh. Prior to the pandemic, milk production had reached an average of 4.57 liters of milk per day per cattle, almost triple the baseline of 1.54 liters in 2015. However, following the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent nationwide quarantine, many households suffered a setback in livestock productivity. Of the 100 farmers surveyed, 67 reported producing milk from their cows before the COVID-19 outbreak, and this declined to 60 farmers at the time of the survey. The average milk production for farmers that reported producing milk before and after the pandemic was 4.04 liters per cow per day and 2.78 liters per cow per day, respectively. Factors contributing to the decline in milk production included difficulties in accessing or procuring fodder or grass to feed cattle. Almost 70 percent of the 98 households reporting mentioned experiencing at least one challenge in this regard. Other factors mentioned by milk producers included reduced access to veterinary services, decreased availability of feed and fodder, and increased costs of inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. The survey also highlighted the importance of addressing the needs of women-headed households, which represented 38% of participants. These households showed higher adoption rates for all practices except mechanical land preparation. The survey results will inform intervention points that will enable the Activity to best develop the resiliency of households and enterprises to respond to COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has weakened various linkages along agricultural value chains in Bangladesh, which could have ramifications across multiple sectors including the economy, health, and nutrition, and political and social stability. The survey analysis is based on primary data, as well as the structural and behavioral characteristics of agricultural market systems. The survey will help inform intervention points that will enable the Activity to best develop the resiliency of households and enterprises to respond to COVID-19. The survey found that the pandemic had a significant impact on the income and marketing of livestock products. Many households reported a decline in income due to reduced sales of livestock products. The survey also highlighted the importance of addressing the needs of small-scale farmers, who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The survey results will inform the development of response interventions to help households and enterprises recover from the pandemic. Proposed response interventions will be cross-validated to ensure they capture the current market context. The survey analysis will provide valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders working to address the impacts of COVID-19 on the livestock sector in Bangladesh.