We are still seeing major social and economic consequences of the worldwide Covid-19 epidemic, and the Dutch agricultural sectors are no exception. There have been many (potential) threats and uncertainties in recent months, but what is the actual impact of the corona crisis on the Dutch agricultural sector? Researchers from Wageningen Economic Research have been involved in analysing the consequences from the beginning of the crisis. They share their findings in the report titled The impact of the corona crisis on the Dutch agricultural complex (Dutch: De impact van de coronacrisis op het Nederlandse agrocomplex).
The consequences of the coronavirus outbreak were felt immediately. For example, the internationally operating food system was disrupted from one moment to the next by the halt in air traffic and the temporary closure of borders. There was also an immediate drop in demand due to the suspension of catering and food services. In addition, there were concerns as to whether agricultural production would not be seriously disrupted by reduced availability of (seasonal) labour.
