The mood is downbeat among farmers, hoteliers and owners of manufacturing units, factories, aquaculture companies and other organisations in the State due to the acute of shortage of labourers. Industrialists fear fall in production of essential commodities due to the panic situation over COVID-19.

Thousands of inter-district and inter-State workers used come to Andhra Pradesh with families to work in agriculture fields, spinning mills, warehouses, brick kilns, sand reaches, catering units, aquaculture companies, construction sites, poultry, feed manufacturing companies and other sectors and return after the end of the season.

Hundreds of middlemen used to earn their livelihood by providing labourers to chilli, paddy, sugarcane, maize, turmeric and other farmers.

“We faced shortage of labour during rabi harvesting operations with no one to assist us in harvesting and shifting the produce and we expect the situation to continue during the kharif season also,” said Sanga Nageswara Rao, a paddy farmer of Palakoderu in West Godavari district.

An industrialist preferring anonymity said though the government eased restrictions, many factories were not fully operational.

Distress sale

“Aqua farmers are suffering huge losses and many sold the produce at lesser prices due to poor export facility, labour, cold storage and other problems,” said a shrimp farmer P. Rama Rao.

A wholesale trader, Avula Sriramulu said there was no proper raw material supply to manufacturing companies and oil and rice mills were not fully operating and detergents, soaps, cleaners and other material were not being manufactured.

“There is a need to supply labour to pharma companies, manufacturing units and ensure that essential services are not hampered,” said a trader K. Brahmaiah.

Hoteliers said business was dull. “Small and medium hotels, chefs, helpers, servers and workers are from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and other States. Many families from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts are eking out their livelihood by working in hotels and restaurants, but, due to coronavirus, all the workers have left and the impact is seen now,” said a hotelier M. Srinivasa Rao of Bhimavaram.

“Men in the family used to work as chef or worker and women used to help them by cutting vegetables, and both used to earn at least ₹1,000 per day,”said a hotel owner Pilli Ramakrishna.