COVID-19 Impact on Pharmaceutical Packaging in Chemicals and Materials Industry

COVID-19 Impact on Agricultural Disinfectant in Agriculture and Animal Feed Industry

  • Agriculture And Animal Feed
  • Nov 06, 2020

COVID-19 Impact on Agricultural Disinfectant in Agriculture and Animal Feed Industry

The Covid-19 pandemic have impacted the agricultural industry as there is disruption in global demand and supply of cereals, nuts, fruits and other agricultural products. Whereas, due to the extended lockdown food have been drastically impacted in all over world including North America and Europe. The global agriculture system has been facing major challenges during this pandemic. However, agricultural industry is likely to be impacted drastically. Agricultural disinfectant is essential component which is basically used for protection of livestock and crops. The lockdown have been created opportunity to the agricultural disinfectant as this is primarily used for protection and it is known as precaution so that viral or bacterial infection is avoided.

Agricultural disinfectants are classified into different forms such as liquid powder, granule and gel, among others. This disinfectant is used to destroy microorganism which are present on the surface of agricultural products. These are also known as agent which are chemical or heat irradiation which particularly inhibit, destroy or neutralize the growth of microorganism. As this agricultural disinfectant inhibits the growth of Bactria, virus or molds on crop, it impacts on the crop production and it maintains health of crops. Thus it is has large demand to maintain healthy of crops and thereby increased its production. Owing to this pandemic, awareness regarding preventive measure that have to take in handling of any agricultural products, any equipment’s and other agricultural related procedure has been increased. Government and other public healthcare association are providing guidelines regarding the handling of these products.

For instance,

  • The western center for agricultural health and safety has provided guidelines for farm owners and operators so that essential preventive measure and protocol may inhibit the direct exposure of farm operators to the any viral infection. These guidelines are follow
    • Famers or farm operators are needed to follow protections and preventive measures so that is will help to avoid disease spread.
    • Farmers must follow precautions and social distancing at every step in the processing of farm operations.
    • Suitable personal safety actions need to be taken for packing and transporting of farm produce to auction platforms like market yards.
    • Seed producer farmers are allowed to transport their seeds production to seed companies with supportive documents.

These guidelines are particularly provided to farmers for their daily routine. However, the pandemic have changed the preference of agricultural disinfectants with the consciousness of preventive measure for health of field crops and hence farmers are more prone towards taking care and demanding agricultural disinfectant for crop protection and their growth. The agricultural disinfectant concept has been evolved due to the destruction of harmful bacteria, virus from crop plants to inhibit its growth. Inhibiting and handling plant diseases such as mildew and root rot; this disinfectant further eliminates post-harvest losses. The treatment or disinfection of water for the rinsing or washing of salads, vegetables and fruit is not, as such, an application for agriculture or agriculture, but is included for completeness.

Although plant diseases are primarily caused by fungi, but plant epidemiology is not so much vary from humans. However, owing to this pandemic, farmers are much more aware regarding health of plant. These farmers are approaching disease management authorities and other government associations to identify and tolerate plant virus to maintain plant health.

For instance,

  • EuropeanSeeds is providing vaccination program in June 2020. This vaccination programe is mainly composes of fungicides and antibiotics for bacterial diseases.

Further, farmers are more aware regarding bacterial growth on crops. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the well known as an ingredient in disinfectant products. However it is now approved for controlling pests on crops in their breeding period and after harvesting. In 2020, it is approved and stated as safe for crop. Hydrogen peroxide is prevents and controls bacteria and fungi which may cause plant diseases. In this pandemic, agricultural disinfectant manufacturers are trying to provide safe and effective disinfectant to prevent harmful growth of bacteria on crop health. Thus, it is expected that owing to this availability of qualified disinfectant for agri sector, global agricultural production should not impacted to a negative extant.

For instance,

  • Sanosil Disinfectants S003, S006, S010 and S015 are proven effective against COVID-19 for agricultural sector. Thus, agricultural disinfectant market is likely to be impacted in neutral manner.

Initiatives

Outbreak of Coronavirus has affected every sector in the agricultural industry including all agricultural related products. The industry has affected as the supply and demand are badly disrupted.

For instance,

  • In 2020, University of Massachusetts has started working by following safety practices at site. Including additional precautions at manufacturing facility, including temperature testing and prohibiting international travelling, among others. In addition, university has started TickTalk Webinars which will be held by Dr. Stephen Rich and his guests, by the UMass Laboratory of Medical Zoology and UMass Extension. However, with the increased demand for the agricultural disinfectant products, the manufacturers are taking new initiatives for products availability.

THYMOX is the first agricultural disinfectant in Canada to obtain UL EcoLogo certification: the most important, most respected environmental certification in North America and one that is recognized worldwide. Thymox disinfectant spray (EPA-87742-1) has demonstrated effectiveness against human Coronavirus strain 229E and is expected to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).

  • Thymox 

We are working hard to make our expertise and resources available to you in this challenging time. While in-person events and some on-campus services are suspended to protect public health, we are continuing with some scouting and farm visits, and many existing and new resources are available online and through virtual delivery.

For Farmers and Growers there are new online educational programs:

  • Production Agriculture:
    • Weekly mini-Twilight Meeting series for Commercial Vegetable Growers
    • Wednesdays at 6 PM.
    • Invasive Insect Webinars: See listing below under Commercial Horticulture for this program co-hosted by the Extension Fruit Program.
    • Invasive Insect Webinars: Free series of seven webinars focusing on the impact, monitoring, and management of invasive insects in Massachusetts and the nation!
  • Webinars featuring experts from APHIS, Rutgers, Penn State, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and UMass Extension were held on the following:
    • Chemical Management of the Spotted Lanternfly
    • Spotted Wing Drosophila
    • Spotted Lanternfly: Monitoring with Environmental DNA
    • Spotted Lanternfly: Green Industry & Homeowner Response in PA
    • Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
    • Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, 2020

The UMass Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Lab is pleased to announce that we will be accepting new orders for ROUTINE SOIL ANALYSIS and PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS orders ONLY beginning July 13. Please do not send orders for other types of analyses at this time. Orders should be sent via USPS, UPS, FedEx or other private carrier. The lab office will remain closed to the general public until further notice and hand-delivered orders will not be accepted at this time. Processing time may be longer than usual since we are operating with reduced staff and staggered shifts.

  • Tracy Allen, Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory 2020

CONCLUSION

As the effects of COVID-19 are felt around the world, agricultural disinfectant manufacturers have been significantly impacted by raised awareness regarding crop health. However, regulatory norms around social distancing across multiple nations, reduced social gatherings were estimated to impact the procedures of farm such to a high extent. However, agricultural disinfectant are seeing a stable sale in their products through non store based retailing and hence foresee stability in demand during the coming months of this fiscal year.

Agricultural disinfectants are one of the major preventive measures which are used to inhibit fungal, bacterial and viral growth. Thus, it is more prefer by farmer who are taking care for crop health, which has raised the sales for this disinfectant owing to impacting wellbeing of health of crop. Though, there has been a stable growth in demand for agricultural disinfectant, the purchasing behavior among farmers have greatly disrupted the distribution channels for these products. Also, owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been an increasing awareness among farmers, on disinfectants wherein, the demand for these products has been on a rise. Agricultural disinfectant in agricultural industry is expected to grow substantially during the coming years, with the rising awareness among farmers regarding crop health and their growth. Thus, the impact of pandemic has been neutral for the global agricultural disinfectant market and hence, a stable growth can be observed during upcoming years, with many opportunities of new products development for the manufacturers.