Using of the Supporting Awareness Program to Increase the Productivity of Wheat Crops During the Covid 19 Pandemic of Anbar Province/Iraq

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on agricultural production. One of the most important strategic crops for agricultural production is wheat, which is of great importance to food security in general and is even included in the foreign policies of countries. Iraq seeks to increase the productivity of wheat crops by spreading the awareness program that supports the wheat crop. The study was conducted in the villages of (Kusaiba and Abu Flies) with a total number of (55 farmers), in Anbar province. Used the SPSS program to analyze the data. The results of the study showed that the majority of farmers under 45 years of age were 70.2%. As for educational attainment, most farmers had only or less primary education at a rate of 61.4%, and the majority of farmers were married, 84.2%. In addition, most farmers have had their lands for decades and renters 83%, . In the field of agricultural sources, their sources came from the Internet by 54.4%, and in the field of agricultural problems and obstacles, the problem of the delay in receiving the marketing amount, as to the effects of Covid 19, the most agreeable was the distance of the health centers from the villages. The relationship was significant with age, marital status, educational attainment, and land ownership at a significant level of 0.05. The researcher recommends that farmers should be encouraged to educate, also the necessity of providing support for agricultural requirements and providing a suitable environment for the agricultural market.

Full text

Using of the Supporting Awareness Program to Increase the
Productivity of Wheat Crops During the Covid 19
Pandemic of Anbar Province/Iraq
Jasim M Saleh Environmental Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology and Environmental Center,
University of Fallujah, Iraq. Email: Jassimsalih2@gmail.com Email address: jassim.m.salih@uofallujah.edu.iq
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1683-0821
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on agricultural production. One of
the most important strategic crops for agricultural production is wheat, which is of great
importance to food security in general and is even included in the foreign policies of
countries. Iraq seeks to increase the productivity of wheat crops by spreading the
awareness program that supports the wheat crop. The study was conducted in the
villages of (Kusaiba and Abu Flies) with a total number of (55 farmers), in Anbar
province. Used the SPSS program to analyze the data. The results of the study showed
that the majority of farmers under 45 years of age were 70.2%. As for educational
attainment, most farmers had only or less primary education at a rate of 61.4%, and the
majority of farmers were married, 84.2%. In addition, most farmers have had their lands
for decades and renters 83%, . In the field of agricultural sources, their sources came
from the Internet by 54.4%, and in the field of agricultural problems and obstacles, the
problem of the delay in receiving the marketing amount, as to the effects of Covid 19,
the most agreeable was the distance of the health centers from the villages. The
relationship was significant with age, marital status, educational attainment, and land
ownership at a significant level of 0.05. The researcher recommends that farmers should
be encouraged to educate, also the necessity of providing support for agricultural
requirements and providing a suitable environment for the agricultural market.
Keywords: Wheat; Support Awareness Program; Covid 19; Rural development; Anbar
province;
INTRODUCTION
Covid-19 is a contagious disease caused by the recently discovered SARS-CoV-2 virus.
After appearing in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, the outbreak spread rapidly around the
world, disrupting the basic activities on which we all depend, including agriculture,
food systems, and putting all those who depend on them for their livelihoods at risk.
The Corona virus pandemic continues to spread around the world, and the number of
cases in Iraq continues to rise. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 49,109
cases in Iraq with 1,943 deaths as of June 30, 2020. Humanitarian, social and social
protection responses by the Government and its supporting partners have also increased
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in this context as the livelihoods of many people have been affected by their suspension
from work (Yue et al, 2021).
The Corona pandemic has greatly and vitally affected food supplies, especially during
the closure period between cities and countries, and therefore initially caused the loss
of many agricultural products to stay away from local and international markets, as well
as because some fruits and vegetables need to be quickly marketed and remain for a
few days will lead to damage (MinJung et al, 2011). The fact that the pandemic came
suddenly and devastatingly to some cities was due to the rapid spread of the pandemic
and the high number of deaths as well as increased injuries. In addition, many countries,
including Iraq, have been relying on many products to import due to the recent wars in
Iraq, as well as the migration of many farmers due to the unstable internal situation,
which led to the migration and displacement of many families in Anbar province, many
of which still live in camps due to the destruction of their homes and the destruction of
infrastructure due to terrorism and wars that took place after the end of 2013, which led
to the fall of these cities to ISIS.
Therefore, stability had to be restored and the displaced returned to their villages in
order to be able to carry out their agricultural work and had to be supported so that they
could buy basic materials for agriculture from seeds, pesticides, fertilizers and
agricultural machinery. The Ministry of Agriculture in Iraq has therefore focused on
providing support for wheat crops through ongoing annual programmes to develop the
cultivation of this vital crop to provide food security to the country's approximately
40,150 million people, with 50.50 men and 49.5 women (Ministry of Planning, 2020).
Wheat is an important strategic crop to maintain food security and provide important
food for the people. The Agricultural Statistics Bureau reports on various aspects of
agricultural activity and considers the field harvest surveys carried out by the city of
the largest and widest seasonal surveys carried out twice a year (winter season, summer
season), to extract production indicators for the main and second field crops, and export
the city t Its annual report of seven maintenance crops (Wheat, barley, rice, cotton, and
other harvesters of sunlight, maize and potatoes) as well as reports of the two harvesters
and the addition of a mass harvester. The reporting of wheat and the production of
wheat from important reports from which indicators of the food security of the country
are produced are considered to be one of the oldest field harvesters known in the world
as a primary source of food and grown in Iraq in large areas, especially in the northern
and western provinces of Iraq (Agricultural Trade, 2020).
Iraq declined wheat production in 2018, recording production of just over 2 million
tons, down nearly 1 million tons from the previous year, which reached 3 million tons.
In 2010, Iraq launched a national wheat cultivation, development project through
programmes implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, which rely on the production
of salinity and drought-resistant, highly productive and disease-resistant seeds. Jul 28,
2019. Iraq's wheat production (6,238,000 tons) for the 2020 winter season was
estimated to be 6.43% higher than last year's production (4,343,000 tons). The area
under cultivation in Anbar province were 660,000 dunums. The country needs 4.2
million tons per year to achieve self-sufficiency in the wheat crop. About 1 million tons
of imported wheat are added to be mixed in quality with local wheat, which is not
available for gluten, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Commerce (Agricultural Trade,
2020).
The Ministry of Agriculture organized through the Anbar Agriculture Directorate a
seminar on the importance of optimal use of irrigation systems in irrigation and
fertilizing wheat crops in the province. The presence of a number of farmers, farmers,
experts and agricultural specialists. During the symposium, a scientific lecture was
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given on the subject, in which a number of topics were discussed, including the
importance of the use of modern irrigation systems in the agricultural process. The
types of irrigation systems, the advantages of axial and fixed spraying systems, the
importance of their use in water-scarce areas, the proper irrigation and fertilization of
wheat crops. The implementation of the periodic control of insects and agricultural
pests of various agricultural crop fields, as well as the organization of field viewing in
which practical application was carried out on how to irrigate and fertilize wheat and
maintain various irrigation systems. The seminar is part of the 2019-2020 agricultural
season's supportive awareness-raising program to develop the skills and expertise of
farmers and farmers in order to increase the productivity of agricultural crops in
quantity and quality.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study also aimed to identify the obstacles and problems that prevent the continuity
of agricultural development under the (Covid19) pandemic and the impact of the use of
the supporting awareness program on increasing the productivity of wheat crops in
Anbar province among the villages covered by this supporting awareness program. For
the purpose of identifying the effects of Covid 19 on agricultural production and the
extent of the relationship between Covid 19 and the independent variables studied in
the research. including the following objectives of the study:
1- Identifying the personal characteristics of the targets.
2- Knowing the relationship between independent variables (Village, age, educational
level, marital status and Land Ownership) and the impact of Covid19 on agriculture.
3- Effects of the Corona Covid-19 pandemic on agriculture and food security.
4- Knowing the most important problems and obstacles in agricultural work.
5- Knowing the most important sources used by farmers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The experiment was conducted in Anbar province, which accounts for 33 percent of
Iraq's total area. It is located in the western part of Iraq (Figure 1). The Department of
Agricultural Extension and Training implements in each season the awareness program
supporting the wheat crop, the purpose of which is to provide guidance, techniques and
all appropriate information to increase the productivity of the crop and reduce the rate
of loss. Through an integrated package that is implemented annually for farmers, and
several years ago, training courses or seminars were held in the farming villages. And
last year for the 2019-2020 season, demonstration fields were made under the
supervision of a specialized agricultural guide who is chosen by the extension center to
follow up the wheat crop from preparing the soil and leveling it for planting until the
stages of plant growth and all the way to the harvest stage.
Figure 1: Map of Anbar Governorate / Iraq
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The agricultural extension and training center in Anbar has chosen two villages
(Kusaiba and Abu Flies) from the Anbar Governorate to complete the explanatory
fields. A questionnaire was prepared to achieve the objectives of the study, and the
apparent validity of the questionnaire was known by presenting it to specialists in
social, psychological and agricultural sciences. The necessary modifications were made
to achieve the purpose of the study, and then the research was conducted on 5% of the
sample, provided that they are not included in the study when collecting recent data. A
five-point Likert Scale was used to measure attitudes towards attitudes or opinions in
questionnaires and statistics. The scale consists of five points: (strongly agree - agree -
neutral - disagree - strongly disagree), were used on the impact of COVID-19 on
agricultural realities (Saleh and Man, 2017).
Statistical analysis was used using the SPSS program for the social sciences. Where
farmers’ data and productivity were recorded for the 2019-2020 season, and the
difference in productivity was known after the implementation of the supportive
awareness program for the 2020-2021 season for planting wheat in light of the Corona
pandemic (Covid 19). Data collection began on 15/10/2021, and data collection was
completed on 15/11/2021, and the data was unloaded and analyzed using the SPSS
program for social sciences to know the relationship between the independent variables
and the dependent variable and the extent of the impact of the Corona pandemic on
agricultural production with knowledge of the most important problems and obstacles
in Agriculture from the perspective of farmers. The following research hypotheses were
formulated as follows.
1- The null hypothesis: there is no statistical significance between the independent
variables in the research (Village, age, educational level, marital status and Land
Ownership) and the dependent variable (The impact of the COVID-19 on
agricultural production).
2- The alternative hypothesis: There are statistically significant differences between
the independent variables in the study and the dependent variable (The impact of
COVID-19 on agricultural production).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
1- Descriptive Statistics
Rural development is essential to ending hunger and poverty, and important to achieve
sustainable development goals. The Iraqi government has provided support for
agricultural development by supporting projects that connect rural and poor people to
markets and services in order to grow more and earn more. The Iraqi Ministry of
Agriculture focused on providing a means of distributing agricultural food products
among the Iraqi governorates, by providing seeds and fertilizers to farmers, as well as
importing vegetable crops to cover the local market country. The provinces, including
Anbar province, have taken several decisions, including supporting the local product
and providing production requirements at a price subsidized by the province. It also
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launched the slogan “Our Food is Our Responsibility” in order to encourage farmers to
cultivate their lands and provide vegetable products (tomatoes, onions, cucumbers,
eggplant, potatoes, and the rest of the vegetables). Baghdad. In addition, the markets
were allowed to sell their basic food products, such as rice, flour and other food
products, as they were allowed to open their shops until six in the evening.
The results of the study indicated in Table 1 that the highest percentage of respondents
in the awareness program was in the village of Abu Felies with a total ratio of 50.9%,
while the village of Kusaiba were at a rate of 45.6%. The reason is due to the large
distance of the village of Kusaiba from the city centers, which reaches more than 40
km. This will lead to a lack of available services due to the lack of guidance department
employees and the lack of a guidance department in the Saqlawiya district, to which
the village of Kusaiba belongs. Regarding the age groups of farmers, they were limited
to three categories, for each category ten years, it started from the age of (brother) one
year upwards, which is the age at which most farmers are able to marry, become
independent in their own home, and practice their agricultural work appropriately. This
is consistent with the study (Saleh and Man, 2017), whose study referred to the effect
of the age of the farmer on the capabilities and abilities of the farmers.
Table 1: Personal characteristics of farmers.
S.D
Mean
Percent
Number
Variables
No.
.504
1.53
45.6
26
Kusaiba
Village
1.
50.9
29
Abu Felies
.757
1.98
28.1
16
Between 25-35 years
Age
2.
42.1
24
From 35-45 years
26.3
15
From 45 years and over
1.20
2.36
22.8
13
Illiterate
Education
Level
3.
38.6
22
Primary school
21.1
12
Middle school
8.8
5
Secondary school
1.8
1
Institute
institute
3.5
2
College
.557
1.20
84.2
48
Marred
Marital
Status
4.
5.3
3
Single
7.0
4
Divorce
.685
1.58
50.9
29
Lease
Land
Ownership
5.
35.1
20
Rent
10.5
6
Private property / taboo
land
The results of Table (1) indicated that the largest percentage was for the middle age
groups (From 35 years to 45 years), and this category helps the labor force well, as the
results showed that their percentage was 42.1%, and secondly came the age groups
between (25 to 35 years) with a percentage College 28.1%, and this is also an indication
that the ages are young. These groups need more experiences to gain knowledge and
information, and they must be trained continuously so that they can obtain modern
information and knowledge, in order to improve their productivity. In addition, the
results of the table on the educational attainment of farmers indicated that the majority
of farmers were among the category of having no access to any education and primary
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education in successive percentages (22.6%, 38.6%). The percentage of their access to
intermediate education was (21.1%), followed by their obtaining the secondary
education with the percentage of (pumping), and the percentage of obtaining a
bachelor's degree was (3.5%), Anbar University. Concerning the social situation, the
results of Table (1) indicated that the majority of farmers were married at a rate of
84.2%, while the unmarried were at a rate of (5.3%) and the divorced farmers were at
a rate of 7% and with a standard deviation (.557).
Finally, the land ownership of the farmers (Private ownership, agricultural contracts,
and land lease) was studied for agricultural work. The results of the study for Table (1)
indicated that the highest percentage was (50.9 %) the farmers’ lands were from
agricultural contracts, and they came in second place for land owners. Its tenants
account for 35.1%. As for the land belonging to the farmers, which is the land owned
by the farmers, their percentage was 10.5%, and the land in Iraq is called (Tabu), and
these lands are mostly in the village of Abu Falis near the cities, according to the land
system followed in Iraq, where most of the lands far from the cities are state-owned and
are Making agricultural contracts for farmers. They can use it by paying a small annual
fee to the government (Saleh and Man, 2017).
2- Agricultural Resources for Farmers
For the purpose of knowing the important sources that farmers depend on to increase
their productivity, as well as in order to increase communication with farmers and
develop agricultural resources in order to reach important information, which farmers
must rely on to develop their economic situation in general and the productivity of the
wheat crop in particular, agricultural sources have been added to agricultural work in
this study. Especially in light of Covid 19 and the resulting effects on agricultural work.
With regard to the age of farmers, the results of Table 2 indicated that the highest
percentage was for ages between 35 and 45 years, and it was 42%. This is a good
indication that their best age allows them to work more actively, than if they were old.
In addition, the ages above 45 years were at a rate of (26.3 %), which is similar to the
young and the young ages (from 25 years to 35 years old), and it was at a rate of 28%.
The results of Table 1 regarding the educational attainment of farmers indicated that
the highest percentage was (access to primary and primary education) with a total
percentage of 38.6%. While the percentage (22.8%) of farmers who did not receive any
education came after that, and this is a negative indicator, especially in the village of
Kusaiba, because schools are far from it. This was followed by a percentage (21.1%)
of farmers who obtained an intermediate education. Farmers must be urged to continue
with education in order to keep up with the most important information and modern
agricultural experiences (Saleh et al, 2015).
The results of Table 2 on the social status of farmers indicated that the vast majority
were married, with a total percentage of (84.2%), and this is a factor that motivates
them to work and persevere for material gain and increase agricultural productivity, and
thus increase the economic return, and divorced people came second with a percentage
(7%). While the percentage (5.3 %) for singles. In addition, the results of Table 2
regarding land ownership by farmers indicated that the largest percentage was for
farmers who had agricultural contracts with the state, with a total percentage of 50.9%.
While the percentage (35.1%) of farmers who leased the land for the purpose of
obtaining their economic resource came second, and finally (10.5%) farmers who own
their land. This indicates the diversity and the desire of people to farm, especially in
light of the conditions of the Corona pandemic, which necessitate dependence on the
local product, due to the high prices of vegetables and other agricultural crops (Yue
Zhan et al, 2021).
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Table 2: Descriptive Statistics Agricultural Resources
No
Resources of Agriculture
Degree of benefit
Mean
S. D
High
Medium
Low
1-
Agricultural guide
14.5
27.3
58.2
2.43
.739
2-
Agricultural offices
14.5
54.5
30.9
2.16
.660
3-
Through websites on the Internet
54.5
38.2
7.3
1.52
.634
4-
Through an experienced and
knowledgeable friend
14.3
65.5
20.0
2.05
590
5-
Agriculture Departments
25.5
36.4
38.2
2.12
.794
6-
Using the results of recent scientific
research
16.4
52.7
30.8
2.14
.678
7-
Using modern scientific information
and recommendations through
agricultural research centers
18.2
45.5
36.4
2.18
.722
There are worrying reports of the spread of COVID-19 among the rural population.
Poverty, malnutrition, and limited access to basic health care make these communities
more vulnerable. Since our focus is already on the poorest of the poor, we fear that it
will have a particularly strong impact on the beneficiary groups we target. In addition
to the averages and standard deviations, they are explained in detail in all paragraphs
related to the agricultural resources in table 2.
3- Problems and Obstacles in Agricultural Work
About 63 percent of the world's poorest people work in agriculture, the vast majority of
whom work on small farms. Most of the poorest, hungriest and marginalized people
also live in rural areas where the development community must now focus its efforts
on the medium and long term. Investing in rural people is a long-term solution to many
of the problems we face today. Hunger, poverty, youth unemployment and forced
migration all have deep roots in rural areas, and all of these issues can be greatly
improved through investment in small-scale agriculture and comprehensive rural
development (Van den Banm, and Hawkins, 1996). The impacts of the emerging
Corona Virus (Covid-19) crisis have ravaged the development sectors in Iraq, and
during this pandemic, we have witnessed a decrease in consumer spending all over the
world, as travel and the tourism sector in general have stopped, and the industry has
slowed due to restrictions imposed on movement, and impeding Economic activity
through services, transportation, and shopping, and lower consumption led to lower
demand. Of course, the agricultural sector was affected by the lack of supplies of
production inputs, so we had to identify the most important problems and obstacles to
agricultural work that accompanied Covid 19 and the subsequent effects on the
agricultural sector.
That is why this study was conducted to identify the problems and obstacles of
agricultural work from the farmers' point of view, to find out these problems and
obstacles and to develop appropriate solutions to them. The results of Table 3 indicated
in the field of problems and obstacles in terms of their importance. The results showed
that the greatest importance was (The difficulty and delay in obtaining the amount of
marketing), with a high percentage estimated at 52.7%. As most farmers, when asked,
found that they did not receive the marketing amount for the last season, and this greatly
affects their continuation of agricultural work, since most of them have limited
capabilities and need money to continue agricultural work.
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Secondly came the following problems (agricultural supplies are few and depend on
favoritism, marketing vegetable allowances take more than what the farmer benefits
from his products, the agricultural policy is unclear and ambiguous) with a high degree
of 45.5% as farmers complain about the lack of access to agricultural equipment which
is an important factor for obtaining production For example, the lack of fertilizer will
directly affect the productivity of the wheat crop, because wheat is stressful to the soil
and needs to be fertilized in three batches (Shalaby et al., 2011). The same applies to
agricultural policy, which is unclear and not consistently engaged in the coming future.
There must be a clear policy for farmers to be in line with the state in order to avoid
conflicting interests. And it solved thirdly the importance of the problems (dealing with
state departments, including agricultural ones), with a total percentage of 43.6%. The
results showed that dealing with their agricultural supplies is complicated, except for
their dealings with state departments. The necessity of facilitating dealing with farmers
and providing them with their needs in an easy and simple manner without complication
(MinJung et al, 2011).
The beginning of a world without poverty and hunger is the countryside. It is estimated
that about 3 billion people - roughly 40% of the world's population - live in rural areas
of developing countries. Then, the problem of (the lack of smart mobile use in Iraq to
use agricultural information) was solved, with a total percentage of 41.8%, as the
Internet service is weak in the villages. In addition to the fact that owning a smart
mobile need a large amount from the farmers’ point of view (Panjshiri et al, 2018).
Table 3: The most important agricultural problems and obstacles from the
farmers' point of view
No
Name of problem
Impact level
Mean
S.D
High
Medium
Low
1-
There is a problem with the difficulty of marketing
crops
21.8
40.0
38.2
2.16
.76
2-
Difficulty and delay in obtaining the marketing
amount
52.7
40.0
7.3
1.54
.63
3-
Difficulty transporting agricultural products
32.7
7.3
60.0
2.27
.93
4-
Dealing with state departments, including agriculture,
is complicated
43.6
43.6
12.7
1.69
.69
5-
Agricultural equipment is few and depends on
favoritism
45.5
40.0
14.5
1.69
.71
6-
Agricultural equipment is more expensive than the
local market
25.5
27.3
47.3
2.21
.83
7-
Poor internet in villages and no coverage in villages
38.2
40.0
21.8
1.83
.76
8-
The lack of use of smart phones in Iraq to use it in
agricultural information
41.8
40.0
18.2
1.76
.74
9-
Agricultural information on the Internet is not credible
and conflicting
27.3
56.4
16.4
1.89
.65
10-
Too many agricultural websites cause confusion of
information
21.8
50.9
27.3
2.05
.70
11-
Not educating farmers about scientifically credible
sites
32.7
50.9
16.4
1.76
.74
12-
There is no support for fertilizers, pesticides or seeds
36.4
40.0
23.6
1.87
.77
13-
The seeds that are distributed are of poor quality
38.2
41.8
20.0
1.81
.74
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14-
Marketing silos depend on nepotism and
administrative corruption
38.2
34.5
27.3
1.89
.80
15-
Marketing vegetable premiums take more than the
farmer benefits from his products
45.5
40.0
14.5
1.69
.71
16-
Agricultural policy is unclear and vague
45.5
40.0
14.5
1.89
.76
17-
Extension circles are few and do not reach everyone to
spread knowledge and modern agricultural
information
29.1
50.9
20.0
1.90
.70
The most important problems and obstacles can be observed from the farmers' point of
view, according to what is shown in Table 3. In addition to the mean and standard
deviations, they are explained in detail in all paragraphs related to agricultural problems
and obstacles in table 3. Most rural people depend on small family farms for their
income and sustenance, and they grow the food that nourishes their country, but they
are also disproportionately poor for what they provide: 80% of the women, children,
and men living in extreme poverty are rural, not urban. This is consistent with what was
indicated by the study mechanism (Charles et al, 2021), which indicated that
agricultural problems and obstacles must be greatly overcome so that the farmer can
carry out his activities better.
Rural development can be a driving force for change when it includes and empowers
poor rural women and men. Economic growth alone cannot change people's lives - but
investing in resilience and market participation by small producers can make a lasting
difference (Muzna, 2021). To ensure the success of agricultural activities, smallholders
need to secure access to land and water, access to affordable electricity, improved
access to financial services, smooth roads and transportation to get their products to
market, and access to technology for up-to-date and reliable market information. It is
also necessary to link them to working markets so that they have an incentive to invest
in improving production. The Fund also supports projects that connect poor rural people
to markets and services so that they can expand production and increase income.
4- The Effects of Covid 19 on Agricultural Work and The Relationship Between
Research Variables.
One of the important things at the present time is to study the effects of Covid 19 on
food security, and to know the most important effects that have been caused by the
Corona pandemic (Shaikh, 2020). Through the results of Table (4), it was found that
the most important effect that occurred as a result of the pandemic is (the distance of
the health centers from the villages greatly affected the difficulty of identifying and
treating the infected with Covid-19), with a high approval rate of 36.4%. After the
health and diagnostic centers of Covid 19 are considered an important factor in limiting
the spread of the pandemic, as well as diagnosing cases for the purpose of providing
the necessary treatment and preventing deaths, as happened in some villages, due to
the rapid spread of the pandemic and the lack of mobile health centers to diagnose
cases and their non-proliferation. It was noticed that the village of Kusaiba is more
than 40 km away from the nearest health center. Secondly, the two obstacles came (The
effect on the marketing of products to other governorates, the impact of the COVID-
19 will be on food security in general) with a strongly agreed rate of 20%. In addition
to the farmers’ approval of the above, the pandemic will have a direct impact on food
security, especially for villages and remote countryside, where it was noted that it was
difficult to market farmers’ products for their agricultural products, as most of them
used to market their products to the capital, Baghdad and the rest of the Iraqi provinces,
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because these agricultural areas are considered the Baghdad food basket Providing
vegetables and other agricultural products (Muzna, 2021).
The reason for this is due to the blocking of roads between other cities to prevent the
spread of the pandemic. And it came in third place in terms of the effects of Covid-19
(Its impact on the crop due to marketing delays during urban days and road cuts, and
the policy of road and urban cuts, which greatly affected the marketing of our products
and damaged many of them) with a strongly agreeable rate of 18.2%. Where, as we
mentioned earlier, the policy of cutting roads between cities to prevent the spread of
the pandemic between other regions and cities. For this, it is necessary to facilitate the
marketing of products more so that farmers can market the product to other cities with
appropriate prices to market their agricultural products. Table 4 can be seen to know
the importance of the rest of the effects of COVID-19 on food security from the farmers'
point of view. In addition to the averages and standard deviations, they are explained
in detail in all paragraphs related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
agriculture and food security in table 4. This is consistent with what was indicated by
the study mechanism (Miguel et al, 2020), which showed a clear impact of Covid 19
on agricultural production. The agricultural problems and obstacles must be greatly
overcome so that the farmer can carry out his activities in a better way (Shalaby et al,
2011).
When testing the research hypotheses in this study, the first hypothesis indicated (There
is no statistical significance between the independent variables in the research (village,
age, educational level, marital status) and the dependent variable (the impact of the
COVID-19 on agricultural production) was positive at a significant level of 0.05, so the
research hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis accepted (There are
statistically significant differences between the independent variables in the study and
the dependent variable (the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural production). She
indicated that there is a significant impact on food security in general. The results of
Table (4) on the relationship between the independent variables (Age, marital status,
educational attainment,and land ownership), using Anova One Way, indicated that the
relationship was positive among them and Covid 19. As mentioned in the under table.
The results of table (4) regarding the ownership of the land and what was mentioned in
the paragraphs showed, where all the paragraphs indicated that the relationship was
positive at the level of significance 0.05. In addition, the relationship was also positive
between social status and the impact of Covid 19 in some paragraphs. Where the
relationship was positive in the paragraph (Its significant impact on the rise in the price
of raw materials in the local market, the impact on the marketing of products to other
governors). Its impact on the use of manpower in agricultural fields Its impact on the
crop due to the delay in marketing during urban days and road blocks. The same applies
to the paragraph (High transportation costs due to the COVID-19).
Table 4: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture and food
security.
No
Impact according to the
opinion of the farmer
Scale
Mean
S.D
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Disagree
Strongly
1
2
3
4
5
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1-
Impact on obtaining production
inputs (seeds, pesticides,
fertilizers, fodder, etc.)
16.4
36.4
30.9
9.1
7.3
2.54
1.10
2-
Influencing the marketing of
products to other governors
20.0
29.1
29.1
18.2
3.6
2.56
1.11
3-
Its impact on the use of
manpower in agricultural fields
16.4
30.9
27.3
18.2
7.3
2.69
1.16
4-
Its impact on the crop due to the
delay in marketing during urban
days and road blocks
18.2
23.6
38.2
14.5
5.5
2.65
1.10
5-
Its effect is through fear of going
to the market and getting infected
9.1
27.3
38.2
18.2
7.3
2.87
1.05
6-
Its significant impact on the rise
in the price of raw materials in
the local market
9.1
34.5
32.7
18.2
5.5
2.76
1.03
7-
Its effect is through the lack of
any materials in the local market
/ the greed of the traders
10.9
30.9
30.9
21.8
5.5
2.80
1.07
8-
Inconsistencies in the local
market greatly affected our
products, as the price increased in
some premiums (wholesale
market) and decreased in others.
7.3
36.8
36.4
14.5
3.6
2.69
.94
9-
Transportation costs are rising
due to the COVID-19.
9.1
41.8
27.3
16.4
5.5
2.67
1.03
10-
Due to the pandemic, the fear of
growing some vegetable crops,
due to the inability to sell them
because they are far from the
market (for the wholesale
market/vegetable top)
10.9
36.4
38.2
12.7
1.8
2.58
.91
11-
Corona pandemic I benefited
from by marketing my products
at a good (high) price
12.7
41.8
29.1
10.9
5.5
2.54
1.03
12-
The pandemic was greatly
affected by the rise in food prices
(low prices for agricultural
products)
10.9
40.0
27.3
18.2
3.6
2.63
1.02
13-
The media gave more than what
was needed to the Corona
pandemic and caused great fear
among farmers
10.9
45.5
30.9
9.1
3.6
2.49
.94
14-
The distance of the health centers
from the villages had a
significant impact on the
difficulty of identifying and
treating the infected person with
Covid-19.
36.4
38.2
16.4
5.5
3.6
2.01
1.04
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15-
The policy of cutting roads and
urbanization greatly affected the
marketing of our products and
damaged many of them.
18.2
30.9
30.9
14.5
5.5
2.58
1.11
16-
The impact of the Covid-19 on
food security in general will be.
20.0
21.8
29.1
20.0
9.1
2.76
1.24
17-
I think that the Covid-19 will
help to rely on local products
instead of imported ones.
5.5
12.7
54.5
21.8
5.5
3.09
.88
On the contrary, the rest of the paragraphs mentioned in Table (5) did not have a
positive relationship, as the relationship was not positive at a moral level of 0.05, and
this indicates its weak impact on agricultural production, according to the farmers' point
of view. The results of table (5) on the relationship between age and the effects of Covid
19 indicated that the relationship was positive for some important paragraphs, namely
(The effect on marketing products to other governorates), as marketing agricultural
products to other cities will give greater freedom to obtain appropriate prices, as well
as the paragraph (Its effect is through the lack of some materials in the local market
(The greed of traders), as this paragraph is important, as it was noticed that some
agricultural materials and supplies were not available through the greed of traders to
obtain higher prices (Muzna Alvi et al, 2021).
Therefore, were the positive relationship between age and Covid 19 in the field
(Because of the pandemic, the fear of planting some vegetable crops due to the inability
to sell them because they are far from the market (For the wholesale market/vegetable
market), and this factor is due to cutting roads during closure periods to prevent the
spread of the pandemic, which gives a character Farmers feared that they might sell
their agricultural products to the local market. In addition, the relationship between the
following paragraph and the COVID-19 (The pandemic was greatly affected by the
high food prices (low prices for agricultural products).
On the contrary, the relationship was not positive for the rest of the paragraphs and age.
Observe the paragraphs accurately through the table (5) more clearly. As for the
relationship between the educational level of farmers and the impact of the Corona
pandemic, the relationship was also positive at a moral level of 0.05. Where all the
paragraphs of the COVID-19 and the educational level refer to the positive relationship
with the exception of the following paragraphs (I believe that the Corona pandemic will
help to rely on the local product instead of the imported, influencing the marketing of
products to other governors, I think that the Corona pandemic will help to rely on the
local product instead of the importer) and the reason is attributed to the reason.
Table 5: The relationship between the effects of COVID-19 and the Independent
Variables
No
Impact according to the opinion of the farmer
P-Value /Sig
Land
Owner
Soci-
Stu
Age
Edu
1-
Impact on obtaining production inputs (seeds, pesticides,
fertilizers, fodder, etc.)
.020
.673
.191
.000
2-
Influencing the marketing of products to other governors
.000
.014
.025
.225
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3-
Its impact on the use of manpower in agricultural fields
.146
.107
.196
.002
4-
Its impact on the crop due to the delay in marketing during
urban days and road blocks
.004
.002
.016
.146
5-
Its effect is through fear of going to the market and getting
infected
.007
.495
.615
.672
6-
Its significant impact on the rise in the price of raw
materials in the local market
.000
.000
.646
.147
7-
Its effect is through the lack of any materials in the local
market / the greed of the traders
.000
.034
.006
.002
8-
Inconsistencies in the local market greatly affected our
products, as the price increased in some premiums
(wholesale market) and decreased in others.
.003
.552
.077
.034
9-
Transportation costs are rising due to the COVID-19.
,000
.007
.068
.027
10-
Due to the pandemic, the fear of growing some vegetable
crops, due to the inability to sell them because they are far
from the market (for the wholesale market/vegetable top)
.000
.107
.022
.000
11-
Covid-19 I benefited from by marketing my products at a
good (high) price
.062
.931
.654
.033
12-
The pandemic was greatly affected by the rise in food
prices (low prices for agricultural products)
..000
.292
.022
.003
13-
The media gave more than what was needed to the Covid-
19 and caused great fear among farmers
.048
.546
.162
.032
14-
The distance of the health centers from the villages had a
significant impact on the difficulty of identifying and
treating the infected person with Covid-19.
.000
.999
.935
.000
15-
The policy of cutting roads and urbanization greatly
affected the marketing of our products and damaged many
of them.
.026
.495
.249
.013
16-
The impact of the Covid-19 on food security in general will
be.
.034
.532
.628
.000
17-
I think that the Covid-19 will help to rely on local products
instead of imported ones.
.037
.250
.595
.825
Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). Correlation is significant at the
0.01 level (2-tailed).
This is due to the differing opinions of farmers due to the fact that the pandemic was
sudden, and changed many of the concepts of farmers, in addition to the fear of some
of the possibility of selling their products with the appropriate return for them or their
loss without marketing, as happened to some farmers where due to the complete closure
led to the damage of some of their crops, due to the difficulty of marketing between
cities (Saleh et al, 2015).
Accordingly, the research hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (There
are statistically significant differences between the independent variables in the study
and the dependent variable (the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural production)
accepted, which indicated that there is a positive relationship between the independent
variables (Age, educational level, marital status, and land ownership) and the dependent
variable (The impact of Covid 19) on agricultural production (Muzna Alvi et al, 2021).
That is why farmers must be guided through awareness, seminars and training (Saleh
and Man, 2017), so that farmers, have a good perception of Covid 19 and prevent its
spread among them. As well as knowing the most important factors that will contribute
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to the spread of the pandemic, and encourage farmers to continue their agricultural work
without fear.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Through the mechanism of the results of the study on the effects of Covid 19 on
agriculture and food security in general, the direct impact on the marketing of
agricultural products is noted due to the policy of cutting roads between cities, in
addition to the damage of many of their agricultural products due to the delay in their
marketing of agricultural products. The new investment in rural villages, the use of e-
marketing, and knowledge of the local market near the farmers’ cities, as well as the
market for neighboring cities, will encourage farmers to farm and obtain the appropriate
economic return so that they can continue to grow more extensively for the coming
seasons, and thus the Covid-19 will not affect their reluctance to farm. If we do not
invest in rural areas and develop strong rural economies with attractive possibilities for
young people, they will be forced to migrate - first in the city - and then if they do not
find suitable work; They will migrate across the border to neighboring or distant
countries.
Furthermore, young people are the basis of the future, which must pay attention to their
needs and focus on a promising future for them. Also, the necessity of the necessary
facilities for marketing agricultural products, between various Iraqi cities, during the
pandemic period, by providing the necessary facilities. As well as providing the
necessary information necessary for marketing without delay for products for fear of
crop damage. It is also necessary to facilitate the procedure for obtaining production
requirements such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural equipment. In
addition, the study recommends providing the necessary and continued support for
production requirements while supporting the local product during the Covid-19.
Limitations of the article and Future Studies The limitations of the study were due to the remoteness of the villages from the city
center and the difficulty of moving and caution due to Covid 19. As well as because of
Iraq’s security situation, and the large number of security controls between villages,
and this needs special approvals at a high level, in order for the researcher to be able to
move between villages, in addition to the limited use of the awareness program
supporting the wheat crop, due to the weak financial capabilities of the Agricultural
Extension Department funded for the program where the choice was only for two
villages per Iraqi governorate. The researcher did not have the opportunity to study the
effects of Covid 19 on providing extension services to all agricultural villages,
especially those far from city centers. Also, we did not have the opportunity to know
the effects of Covid 19 on employees working in the agricultural sector, especially
agricultural extension workers, to know the most important obstacles to their extension
work.
Conflict of Interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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