A Qualitative Assessment of COVID-19 Shock to Smallholder Vegetable Growers in Ormoc City, Philippines

Abstract

In March 2020, the Philippine government implemented the community quarantine regulation to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this has brought significant changes in the livelihood of small-scale farmers. We conducted a study to understand farmers’ experiences in the first two months of the pandemic to provide fundamental information for future immediate interventions. We found that farmers were immediately affected by the increased difficulty in the transportation of goods, narrowed options in selling vegetables, changes in the distribution channels and prices. Association activities also suffered as members prioritized their individual welfare. As such, farmers pursued off-farm alternative works to sustain livelihood. Moreover, the pandemic led them towards entrepreneurial thinking and strategic risk management as they now measure the availability of materials, finances, and markets before investing. Furthermore, findings also reveal the level of resiliency and vulnerability of farmers.

Keywords

• sustainable livelihood framework
• vegetable value chain
• covid-19