Lockdown 2.0: Farm sector may be sole bright spot this year, says govt

Expects over 3 per cent growth 2020-21; May give 0.5-1.0% push to country's overall GDP

Agriculture may be the sole bright spot in the overall gloomy economic outlook for the country due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The sector may push up the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2020-21 by 0.5 to 1 percentage points, the Centre said on Wednesday.
 

The government is placing its optimism on projections of a ‘normal’ monsoon for 2020 that addresses 60-70 per cent of the sector’s worries.
 

It said growth in agriculture and allied activities will not be much lower than the 3.7 per cent expected in real terms for 2019-20.

“We are hopeful that agriculture growth won’t get impacted