COVID-19, originated from Wuhan, China – the epicentre has eventually spread through the whole world and emerged into a pandemic. India has already become a hotspot for the virus, next to the USA, infecting 32.6 million as of 27 August, 2021. The pandemic has adversely hit all the sectors of the society all over the globe, where agriculture was not an exception. In India, small and marginal farmers are worst affected by the pandemic. The resilience of the agricultural sector has been tested by the COVID-19 outbreak. As per the World Bank, 80% of the world's poor living in rural areas depends on farming.

The development in agriculture is expected to feed 9.7 billion people by 2050 according to the World Bank projection. Majority of the rural households depend on agriculture and allied sectors for their livelihood in countries like India, Ethiopia, Sudan etc. Hence, agriculture is important from the point of equity and development. The issues generated by the COVID-19 pandemic are add-ons to the farm sector that is already threatened by low and erratic rainfall, price fluctuations, and increasing debts of farmers. In this context, Agricultural Advisory Services brings new perspectives in reorienting Agricultural Extension into field oriented, supported with focussed group-led approaches, effective functional linkages strengthened by different ways besides empowering the farmers and stakeholders at all stages to maximise their profit.

This conference will methodically and systematically arrive on appropriate solutions to the emerging problems. In view of this, VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), Vellore Institute of Technology in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Bule Hora University, Ethiopia, and Al Neelain University, Sudan organize International virtual Conference on “Transforming Agricultural Extension to Mitigate the Effects of the Pandemic for the Farmers Welfare”.