Effect of COVID-19 on nursery owners

Introduction

In 2019, the world faced the outbreak of the coronavirus, which was rapidly declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. Within days, it had spread worldwide disruption. This lockdown had a profund impact on various industries in India. Especially in nursery sector, it experienced a decrease in demand for nursery plants and challenges imposed by the pandemic, the nursery industry responsible for growing and selling of all type of plants encountered different set of difficulties. Nursery owners in Kadiyam, near Rajahmundry, East Godavari district of Andra Pradesh, had to adjust with threemonth compulsory closure of operations and the reduction in international transportation adversely affected their plant exports. This study aims to delve into the profound effect of the COVID-19 on the nursery owners, exploring the complex challenges they confronted and the strategies they adopted to adjusted to the crisis. Through a comprehensive examination of their experiences, this research seeks to illuminate how nursery owners coped with these challenges and reshaped their businesses. Importantly, this study extends beyond the nursery sector, highlighting the on the international stage too. The word-of-mouth marketing strategy thrives here, resulting in the daily production and supply of a multitude of materials, filling nearly 200 lorries with nursery treasures each day. Kadiyam has aptly earned the moniker "Hub of Nursery," both nationally and internationally.

resilience and adaptability of small business owners. Kadiyam's nursery market stands as a vibrant and renowned hub in the heart of the East Godavari district, along with India,

Materials and Methods

Study Area

The Present study was conducted in Kadiyam mandal of East Godavari district. Of Andhra Pradesh. Kadiyam is located near Rajahmundry city, approximately 60 to 65 km from East Godavari in Andra Pradesh. Kadiyam is well known for Nursery growers. This area is completely dominated by nurseries. It is located of 16.917 N and longitude of 81. 833 S.

Sampling size and procedure

Sample size was 130, which was selected randomly and respondents' equal respondents were selected from each village through random sampling. A questionnaire was prepared by keeping objectives in mind. Respondents were contacted directly to collect the data after pretesting of the schedule with 10 respondents.

Selection of nursery owners

Nursery Owners were selected from three different villages. 44 from Kadiyam village, 43 from Veeravaram village, 43 from Burrilanka village.

Analytical technique

The data collected were tabulated and analyzed the data by statistical tools like mean, per centage, frequency and Pearsons's coefficient of correlation and range method.

Results and Discussion

Socio-economic attributes

The study found in the table no.1 shows that all of the nursery owners were male which is 100 per cent. It clearly states that nursery business is dominated through males. Females are acting as workers and More than half of the respondents (56.90%) belong to the middle-aged group (ages 36-55), with 36.20% categorized as young and 6.90% falling into the older age. The prevalence of middle-aged participants suggests a potential inclination towards nurseryrelated topics among this demographic. Table 3 displays a breakdown: 31.54% had primary education, 20.77% secondary, and 12.31% higher secondary. Moreover, 16.92% pursued higher education, predominantly in engineering, barring one with an M.Sc. in Horticulture. Notably, 3.84% lacked formal schooling, while 14.62% selfeducated through National Literacy Mission or night schools, showcasing diverse educational backgrounds. Among 130 respondents in Table 4, 'Marginal farmers' constitute 47.69%, typically owning up to 1.00 hectare, followed by 'Small farmers' at 32.31% with 1.01 to 2.00 hectares. This trend highlights predominantly small landholdings, likely due to India's population growth leading to land fragmentation. "Within the 130-respondent dataset, Marginal farmers make up 53.07%, emphasizing smaller landholdings. Small farmers follow at 32.31%, while Semi-medium farmers account for 12.31%. Medium and Large farmers are the smallest groups at 1.54% and 0.77% respectively, showcasing the dominance of smallerscale farming, particularly among Marginal farmers." According to the table, over half (51.54%) of respondents had up to 11.6 years of nursery experience, with 37.69% falling between 11.7 to 21.2 years. The group with 21.3 to 30.8 years of experience accounted for 9.23%. Only 0.77% each had 30.9 to 40.4 years and over 40.4 years of experience, highlighting a majority with limited expertise in the field. Within the 130 respondents, the majority (70.77%) came from small families, typically with 5 or fewer members. Around a quarter (24.62%) represented mediumsized households with 6 to 8 members, while only 4.61% belonged to large families. This indicates a trend toward smaller, nuclear family structures among the surveyed population.

Conclusion

This study conducted in the Kadiyam mandal near Rajahmundry in east Godavari dist. of Andhra Pradesh. In this research, it is revealed that most of the respondents belonged to the middle-aged group i.e., 36 to 55 years, had primary education, had marginal land holding that up to 1ha, had low experience of the respondents, semi-moderate social participation, medium marketing, and medium extension contact. It is studied that the 60.76 per cent of the respondents had a moderate impact of COVID-19 on Nursery Owners. Whereas, 25.38 per cent of the respondents fell into the high impact of COVID-19, which they faced more difficulties during COVID-19. Only 13.85 per cent of the respondents have experienced a low impact of COVID-19.

Suggestions

The primary challenges faced by nursery owners are and "Supply Chain Disruptions," impacting 92 per cent. "Lockdown and Movement Restrictions," affecting 73 per cent of respondents, "Decreased Customer Demand" troubles 29 per cent, while "Labour Shortages" affect 28 per cent. Lockdowns and supply chain issues are the most prevalent concerns, while customer demand and labor shortages are less significant. Most of the respondents suggested that almost similar percentage of marketing and promotion should be done under government for sale promotion in all over year (89.23 per cent) and Online sale support has to be created by the govt, in order to reduce price variation and regulate market was (83.84 per cent).

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