KARACHI – The COVID-19 pandemic has captured the world’s attention, as it poses a threat to all nations, sectors and social classes. As the virus sickens and kills people across the globe, countries have imposed restrictions and quarantines in an effort to contain its spread and ‘flatten the curve’. These measures have paralysed economies and supply chains worldwide. Media coverage has focused on ‘essential workers’ getting the world through this time of insecurity, such as health workers, police and supermarket staff. But other unsung heroes are at the first step of the food value chain, ensuring that we have food on our tables: our smallholder farmers. In this crisis, eating healthy with fresh fruits and vegetables is even more important and for this we rely on the farmers who continue to harvest and produce food for us. They are our Food Heroes, braving the risks of the virus, to bring us the food on which we depend.
The agriculture sector which contributes 19 percent to the country’s GDP and employs 39 percent of the labour force is a mainstay of Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan is considered as one of the top producers of quality rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, mango and oranges in the world, thanks to the relentless efforts put in by the farmers to toil their lands. With COVID-19 cases rising and lockdowns extended in Pakistan, the impact on health and economy was felt rather much earlier on the food basket. While many businesses ceased during nationwide lockdowns and a complete halt of transport services, farmers and food producers kept working despite facing severe challenges. However, like the frontline fighters, farmers too braced themselves to face these challenges and ensure food security for the nation by all means possible.
While on one hand erratic weather conditions resulting in untimely rains, and the threat of locust attacks posed great worries for the farmers, extended lockdowns did no less in crippling their already poor economic conditions. Transport of perishable crops such as vegetables and fruits got affected the most and most of the farmers had to sell their produce at throwaway prices after being disconnected from nearby markets. This was heart wrenching for many farmers since they had carefully worked this whole time on these crops in the hopes of fetching better returns on their harvesting. Wheat harvesting season also fell during this crisis and faced its own challenges. Following restrictions on public transport services due to lockdown and scarce availability of manual labor for harvesting, it became difficult to procure wheat from surrounding districts which posed a great fear that the nation may face an impending food crisis if the situation carried on.
Even as safety and survival is considered a primary concern for a vast majority of population in Pakistan, the farmers have taken upon themselves to brace the storm and protect the nation from any possible food crisis by becoming the stewards of agriculture. Sadly, many of us don’t realise that these farmers who represent the backbone of our economy are under immense unprecedented pressures while they shoulder the responsibility of feeding the nation. Nonetheless, it was refreshing to see Sarsabz recognising the need to appreciate the farmers in a fitting way on digital platforms to ensure that their message reaches out far and wide, as the whole nation is connected through social media under lockdown situation.
The video revolves around an innocent conversation of two kids who miss their fathers’ presence at the occasion of Eid who are away from their loved ones to fulfill their responsibilities of serving their country in their respective domains. The children see their parents as superheroes who have chosen a greater purpose over their own happiness and that of their families. The video aptly reframes our understanding of the invisible frontline and the essential role of farmers, being our unsung heroes in this crisis, for the provision of food to the whole country.
Sarsabz has always been vocal in support of farmers and have time and again introduced different assistance programs for them to help them increase their crop yield in order to uplift their economic conditions. The appreciation for the role of farmers in ensuring food security amid COVID-19 was a much needed step towards accepting them as one of the true unsung heroes in these testing times.
