Application of Benford's law in agricultural production statistics

The importance of food supply throughout the world has once again shown its significance in the COVID-19 pandemic period. A continuous food supply is possible with correct agricultural programming. An effective agricultural product programming can only be possible by obtaining precise agricultural data. However, it is very difficult to gather accurate agricultural production statistics from all over the world and confirm their accuracy. In this study, the compatibility of the production statistics of six important agricultural products (wheat, rice, potato, onion, banana, apple) which had been collected from local sources, and had published as opensource by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with Benford's law was examined for the first time. Data for the last two decades are used to ignore the impact of annual fluctuations. The compatibility of theoretically expected and observed data was tested by Chi-square (X2) and Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) tests. Although inconsistencies were found in some data by examining the numbers in the first, second, and first two digits, in general, the MAD test results gave a mostly concordant result.

Effect of coronavirus (COVID-19) on production of spices and its economy in Bangladesh

Coronavirus was detected in Bangladesh first time on March 8, 2020 officially. But Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), first reported in December 2019 from Wuhan in China, had reached the stage of a pandemic. This study was conducted to know the effects of spices against Covid-19 disease, impact of Covid-19 on agro-economy of spices crop and point out of mitigating of spices problem in Bangladesh. Major production of spices was severely affected, causing raw material shortages to the spice production of Bangladesh. Major for spices crop problem were shortages caused by the migration of the workforce due to lockdown. Continuing operation on the industry floor, in the midst of social distancing, and ensuring safety of the spices production, was also a major issue. Although the entire sectors were hit by the economic disruptions, the small-scale spice producers and processors most severely affected. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the prolonged lockdown have made thousands of farmers, labours and traders feel the pinch of a falling spices yield and sale. Increased production cost of onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and black cumin due to Covid-19 situation over normal situation were 10.33, 9.54, 9.04, 11.46, 9.58, 6.21 and 7.21%, respectively. Market price of onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and black cumin were also increased 5.00, 3.90, 1.39, 3.13, 1.40, 1.25 and 2.67 times, respectively, due to the influence of Covid-19.

IN SILICO STUDY REVEALED THE ANTI-VIRAL POTENCY OF Allium cepa BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS INHIBIT M-PRO SARS-COV-2 PROTEIN

A zoonotic disease called COVID-19 was initially spread from animals to people. SARS-CoV-2, as opposed to SARS, was a pandemic that resulted in about 274,676,729 cases globally. Numerous studies have looked into potential novel treatments for COVID-19 infection. In this study, 16 phytochemicals from Allium cepa L. were examined in silico for their potential to bind to the primary protease of COVID-19 (PDB ID: 6LU7). Lipinski's rules are used to choose the ligands. Protein protease's (Mpro) Cys-145 and His-41 are its active sites. The chosen ligands are examined using molecular docking with PyRx and Vina Wizard and 2D visualization with LigPlot+. Selected ligands' binding energy value will be contrasted with hydroxychloroquine as a control. According to the results, the compounds luteolin (CID: 5280445), isorhamnetin (CID: 5281654), and apigenin (CID: 5280443), which had binding energies of 7.4, 7.2, and -7 kcal/mol, respectively, become potential COVID-19 inhibitors. These substances have higher binding energies than the control, hydroxychloroquine (CID: 3652), which has a lower binding energy (-6 kcal/mol). Due to its important pharmacokinetic features, luteolin demonstrated the best binding efficacy to Mpro, enabling the development of new drugs. © 2022 Malaysian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. All rights reserved.

In silico-based studies on phytochemicals from native Indian plants as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2

This study aims to analyze the AntiCovid effect of Phytocompounds extracted from Native Indian Plant species by computational methods such as Molecular Docking. Through this study keeping the Indian Heritage alive we characterized the ability of these phytochemicals as inhibiting agents of the Main Protease enzyme of this Virus. The lack of any effective treatment and the reoccurrence of cases despite Vaccination necessitates the quick provision of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Natural substances are getting a lot of attention for SARS-CoV-2 therapy as they have proven antimicrobial activities and are a key source for numerous antiviral drugs. Despite the fact that this virus has several identified target receptors, Main Protease (Mpro) is crucial for viral replication. In this study, 26 phytochemicals from 10 native Indian plant species were studied. Our docking studies demonstrated that compounds Quercetin, Withaferin A, Sominone, and Nimbin were likely to be more favorable than the natural inhibitor N3, with binding energies of-8.42, -9.21, -9.95, and -8.88 kcal/mol, respectively. These four candidate natural compounds were further examined for their bioavailability scores through ADMET analysis to prove the safety of these compounds as well as their drug likeliness. Through the results it was indicated that these natural phytochemicals have a significant potential of inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro enzyme and might be utilized to treat SARS-CoV-2 and manage public health, subject to in vitro validation in the future.

Paving New Roads Using Allium sativum as a Repurposed Drug and Analyzing its Antiviral Action Using Artificial Intelligence Technology.

Context: The whole universe is facing a coronavirus catastrophe, and prompt treatment for the health crisis is primarily significant. The primary way to improve health conditions in this battle is to boost our immunity and alter our diet patterns. A common bulb veggie used to flavor cuisine is garlic. Compounds in the plant that are physiologically active are present, contributing to its pharmacological characteristics. Among several food items with nutritional value and immunity improvement, garlic stood predominant and more resourceful natural antibiotic with a broad spectrum of antiviral potency against diverse viruses. However, earlier reports have depicted its efficacy in the treatment of a variety of viral illnesses. Nonetheless, there is no information on its antiviral activities and underlying molecular mechanisms. Objectives: The bioactive compounds in garlic include organosulfur (allicin and alliin) and flavonoid (quercetin) compounds. These compounds have shown immunomodulatory effects and inhibited attachment of coronavirus to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and the Mpro of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Further, we have discussed the contradictory impacts of garlic used as a preventive measure against the novel coronavirus. Method: The GC/MS analysis revealed 18 active chemicals, including 17 organosulfur compounds in garlic. Using the molecular docking technique, we report for the first time the inhibitory effect of the under-consideration compounds on the host receptor ACE2 protein in the human body, providing a crucial foundation for understanding individual compound coronavirus resistance on the main protease protein of SARS-CoV-2. Allyl disulfide and allyl trisulfide, which make up the majority of the compounds in garlic, exhibit the most potent activity. Results: Conventional medicine has proven its efficiency from ancient times. Currently, our article's prime spotlight was on the activity of Allium sativum on the relegation of viral load and further highlighted artificial intelligence technology to study the attachment of the allicin compound to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor to reveal its efficacy. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered interest among researchers to conduct future research on molecular docking with clinical trials before releasing salutary remedies against the deadly malady.

Molecular Screening of Bioactive Compounds of Garlic for Therapeutic Effects against COVID-19.

An outbreak of pneumonia occurred on December 2019 in Wuhan, China, which caused a serious public health emergency by spreading around the globe. Globally, natural products are being focused on more than synthetic ones. So, keeping that in view, the current study was conducted to discover potential antiviral compounds from Allium sativum. Twenty-five phytocompounds of this plant were selected from the literature and databases including 3-(Allylsulphinyl)-L-alanine, Allicin, Diallyl sulfide, Diallyl disulfide, Diallyl trisulfide, Glutathione, L-Cysteine, S-allyl-mercapto-glutathione, Quercetin, Myricetin, Thiocysteine, Gamma-glutamyl-Lcysteine, Gamma-glutamylallyl-cysteine, Fructan, Lauricacid, Linoleicacid, Allixin, Ajoene, Diazinon Kaempferol, Levamisole, Caffeicacid, Ethyl linoleate, Scutellarein, and S-allylcysteine methyl-ester. Virtual screening of these selected ligands was carried out against drug target 3CL protease by CB-dock. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties defined the final destiny of compounds as drug or non-drug molecules. The best five compounds screened were Allicin, Diallyl Sulfide, Diallyl Disulfide, Diallyl Trisulfide, Ajoene, and Levamisole, which showed themselves as hit compounds. Further refining by screening filters represented Levamisole as a lead compound. All the interaction visualization analysis studies were performed using the PyMol molecular visualization tool and LigPlot+. Conclusively, Levamisole was screened as a likely antiviral compound which might be a drug candidate to treat SARS-CoV-2 in the future. Nevertheless, further research needs to be carried out to study their potential medicinal use.

TARGETING THE MAIN PROTEASE AND THE SPIKE PROTEIN OF SARS-CoV-2 WITH NATURALLY OCCURRING COMPOUNDS FROM SOME CAMEROONIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS: AN IN-SILICO STUDY FOR DRUG DESIGNING

Despite the social distancing and hygiene rules prescribed by the WHO, the novel Corona-virus is still on the way of a significant rapid rise in deaths. Therefore, identification of chemotherapeutic drugs against Corona Viral Infection all around the world is still requires. Some medicinal plants have a valuable therapeutic effect when mixt with honey, the obtained formulations are preliminary use in Cameroon against viral infection particularly respiratory infections. In this work, we looked for the potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 molecule throw execution of in silico computational studies of six Cameroonian plants intervening in the treatment respiratory infections in apiphytotherapy. AutoDock Vina was used for docking studies against SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and spike (SP) proteins. We further conducted of pharmacokinetics properties and the safety profile of compounds with the top score in order to identify the best drug candidates. Totally 100 compounds were screened, of these, eighteen showed high binding affinity against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and SP. The results suggest the effectiveness of compounds 10 and 17 obtained from Citrus Sinensis as potent drugs against SARS-CoV-2 as they tightly bind to its Mpro and SP with low binding energies. The stability of the two compounds complexed with Mpro and SP was validated through MD simulation. The availability of potent protein inhibitors and diverse of compounds from Cameroon flora scaffolds indicate the feasibility of developing potent Mpro and SP proteins inhibitors as antivirals for COVID-19. Based on further in vivo and in vitro experiments and clinical trials, some of these phytoconstituents could be proposed for effective inhibition of the replication of the SARS-CoV-2.

A Critical Review on the Nutritional and Medicinal Profiles of Garlic’s (Allium sativum L.) Bioactive Compounds

The medicinal characteristics of garlic’s (Allium sativum L.) dynamically bioactive constituents such as alliin, allicin, ajoene, S-allyl-cysteine, S-trityl-L-cysteine, diallyl sulfide, and S-allylmercaptocysteine, have gained a lot of scientific attention from a large number of investigators who have occupied the related pre-clinical and clinical studies, as well as in the industrial sector. The outcomes from basic investigations demonstrated that, depending on the type of food processing, the presence of bioactive compounds in the matrix of garlic have a coherent and direct relation with the appearance/development of health-promoting effects in the host. Besides, it can be acknowledged that at present spectroscopic and chemometric techniques are powerful tools to detect fraud, prevent criminal activities of fraudsters, and ensure food chain safety, and future studies should lead to further progress, such as portable and hand-held spectroscopy devices for rapid on-site analysis, in this field. There have been also many issues on the effects of processing on garlic’s bioactive compounds, potential toxicities, pharmacokinetics, and safety profile of these elements that should be studied to validate the health advantages of garlic in humans. In this review, the outcomes of recent experimental and clinical reports are reviewed and metabolism pathway, bioavailability, biological/therapeutically effects, food-related applicability, methods of adulteration detection, potential toxicities, and safety profile of garlic’s derived bio-compounds are discussed. © 2022 Taylor & Francis.

Molecular docking and dynamics of phytochemicals from Chinese herbs with SARS-CoV-2 RdRp

The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Ancient Chinese herbal formulas are effective for diseases caused by viral infection, and their effects on COVID-19 are currently being examined. To directly evaluate the role of Chinese herbs in inhibiting replication of SARS-CoV-2, we investigated how the phytochemicals from Chinese herbs interact with the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). Total 1025 compounds were screened, and then 181compounds were selected for molecular docking analysis. Four phytochemicals licorice glycoside E, diisooctyl phthalate, (-)-medicocarpin, and glycyroside showed good binding affinity with RdRp. The best complex licorice glycoside E/RdRp forms 3 hydrogen bonds, 4 hydrophobic interactions, 1 pair of Pi-cation/stacking, and 4 salt bridges. Furthermore, docking complexes licorice glycoside E/RdRp and diisooctyl phthalate/RdRp were optimized by molecular dynamics simulation to obtain the stable conformation. These studies indicate that they are promising as antivirals against SARS-CoV-2.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on prices of potato and onion in metropolitan cities of India. (Special Issue: COVID-19 in Agricultural and Development Economics.)

Purpose: This study focuses on accessing the impact of lockdown implemented to curb the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on prices of potato and onion crops using the time series analysis techniques. Design/methodology/approach: The present study uses secondary price series data for both crops. Along with the study of percent increase or decrease, the time series analysis techniques of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH), as well as machine learning;neural network autoregressive (NNAR) models were used to model the prices. For the purpose of comparison, the data from past years were taken as the period of normalcy. The behaviour of the forecasts for the normal periods and during the pandemic based on respective datasets was compared. Findings: The results show that there was an unprecedented rise in prices during the months of lockdown. It could be attributed to the decline in arrivals due to several reasons like issues with transportation and labour availability. Also, towards the end of lockdown (May 2020), the prices seemed to decrease. Such a drop could be attributed to the relaxations in lockdown and reduced demand. The study also discusses that how some unique approaches like e-marketing, localized resource development for attaining self-sufficiency and developing transport chain, especially, for agriculture could help in such a situation of emergency. Research limitations/implications: A more extensive study could be conducted to mark the factors specifically that caused the increase in price. Originality/value: The study clearly marks that the prices of the crops increased more than expectations using time series methods. Also, it surveys the prevailing situation through available resources to link up the reasons behind it.

Agricultural and food product preferences of consumers in the process of COVID-19: the case of Samsun, Turkey

Covid-19, which started in China and affected all countries in the world in a short time, spread rapidly among people and caused serious loss of life. This global epidemic has not only been effective on human health, but has also brought with it a new world order in economic and social terms. In Turkey, the impact of the epidemic reached critical dimensions in time, especially in the health sector, as well as in the agriculture and industry sectors. The aim of this research is to comparatively evaluate consumer preferences for agricultural and food products before and during Covid-19. The material of the research consists of data obtained from 384 consumers residing in the urban area of Samsun. Research results in the epidemic process;expiry date, price, brand, It shows that the ranking of the most important criteria related to agricultural and food products such as production date and company name has not changed compared to the pre-epidemic period, but the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. however, it shows that the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. however, it shows that the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process.

The prices of perishable food commodities in India: the impact of the lockdown

Onions, potatoes, and tomatoes constitute an important component of the Indian diet. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the government to impose a lockdown from 25 March to 31 May. This paper uses granular data to assess the impact of the lockdown on the daily arrivals and wholesale prices of these commodities at three metropolitan markets. The impact was significant and negative on the quantity traded, and positive on prices, but the heterogeneity across commodities and markets was considerable.

Philippine medicinal plants with potentialimmunomodulatory and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to devastate the world's health and economy, affecting all aspects of life leading to widespread social disruption. Even as several vaccines have been developed, their availability in developing countries is limited and their efficacy against the variants of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2) needs to be continuously assessed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that vaccines alone will not overcome the global challenges of COVID-19. Medicinal plants may provide the needed support. Herein, we identify Philippine medicinal plants that possess phytochemicals with potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and/or immunomodulatory properties that may strengthen one's immune system against COVID-19. These plants were selected from 100 of the best-studied Philippine medicinal plants with antiviral and immunomodulatory properties. The general antiviral and specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities and immunomodulatory properties of the phytochemicals that these plants contained were searched. While many compounds assessed individually using in vitro and in silico techniques suggest potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 or immunomodulatory effects, this review sought to identify the medicinal plants which contain these compounds and which, based on literature, have the best potential application against COVID-19. These plants are Allium spp. bulbs (bawang), Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees leaves (sinta), Cocos nucifera L. oil (niyog), Euphorbia hirta L. leaves (tawa-tawa), Euphorbia neriifolia L. leaves (sorosoro), Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves (malunggay), Ocimum basilicum L. leaves (balanoy), Piper nigrum L. seeds (paminta), Vitex negundo L. leaves (lagundi), and Zingiber officinale Roscoe rhizome (luya). This review provides a shortlist that can guide research on possible solutions to COVID-19 using Philippine medicinal plants.

International Conference on Pharmaceutical Material, Engineering and Applied Science (ICOPMES) 2020

This proceedings contains 13 papers focusing on the effect of green tea extract in modulating the antibacterial activity of standard antibiotics against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii, in silico screening of Ziziphus spina-christi and Strychnos ligustrine compounds as a proteinase inhibitor of SARS-COV-2, antioxidant and antifungal propterties of palu shallot (Allium ascalonicum var. aggregatum), probiotic properties and safety of lactic acid bactera isolated from South Sulawesi ethnic cheese, pharmacognostics of 2 Orthoshipon aristatus varieties and effect of honey consumption after physical exercises on electrolytes and blood sugar levels, among others.

Shallot (Allium cepa L.) Planted In The Ts-of-RAMSAR-Classification Ecosystem Is Still Beneficial In The COVID-19 Treatment

Rich in quercetin, shallot (Allium cepa L.) use is beneficial in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic since effective vaccines and pharmacotherapy are still in development. The study aimed to characterize functional groups of shallot tubers planted in the inorganic soil of the seasonal freshwater-wetland (IS-SFW)/Ts-of-RAMSAR-classification ecosystem. The shallot tubers that grew in IS-SFW for 60 days were manually harvested, sun-dried for seven days, and stored for two months before been pressed to produce sample juices. The peaks of wavenumber resulted from FTIR analysis were compared to the infrared database to determine possibly functional groups. The findings showed spectra changed in the fingerprint but not in the mid-IR other regions, indicated the IS-SFW did not affect functional groups beneficial in the COVID-19 treatment. The study concluded that shallot planted in IS-SFW is still beneficial in the COVID-19 treatment.

Antiviral potential of garlic (Allium sativum) and its organosulfur compounds: A systematic update of pre-clinical and clinical data.

BACKGROUND: Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a common herb consumed worldwide as functional food and traditional remedy for the prevention of infectious diseases since ancient time. Garlic and its active organosulfur compounds (OSCs) have been reported to alleviate a number of viral infections in pre-clinical and clinical investigations. However, so far no systematic review on its antiviral effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms exists. SCOPE AND APPROACH: The aim of this review is to systematically summarize pre-clinical and clinical investigations on antiviral effects of garlic and its OSCs as well as to further analyse recent findings on the mechanisms that underpin these antiviral actions. PubMed, Cochrane library, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases were searched and articles up to June 2020 were included in this review. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Pre-clinical data demonstrated that garlic and its OSCs have potential antiviral activity against different human, animal and plant pathogenic viruses through blocking viral entry into host cells, inhibiting viral RNA polymerase, reverse transcriptase, DNA synthesis and immediate-early gene 1(IEG1) transcription, as well as through downregulating the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The alleviation of viral infection was also shown to link with immunomodulatory effects of garlic and its OSCs. Clinical studies further demonstrated a prophylactic effect of garlic in the prevention of widespread viral infections in humans through enhancing the immune response. This review highlights that garlic possesses significant antiviral activity and can be used prophylactically in the prevention of viral infections.

Some immunity-boosting plants used during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent corona virus infection in Kumaun Himalyan region of Uttarakhand, India

The entire world is entrapped by the contagious, lethal infectious Corona disease, brought about by the extreme intense respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has been more devastating than the first. The arrival of corona virus vaccines has meant good news for resuming a normal life. However, there are some cases that have been reported that the persons who have been vaccinated still test positive for COVID-19. Unlike the first wave (in 2020), the younger population is getting infection by a corona virus, especially those with comorbidities are at high risk. Evidence from the first wave of data on the mortality rate also suggests that people with weak immune systems, e.g., older people, children, and those with underlying medical issues, are more likely to be affected by Covid-19 disease. Therefore, by improving the human body's immunity, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections can be reduced. In this regard, medicinal plants can play an effective role in improving the body's immunity. Thus, in this paper, attempts are made to compile and discuss the use of various plants to boost immunity and also for the prevention of many respiratory diseases having symptoms and signs similar to Corona disease.

Analysis of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prices of basic food sold in traditional markets: the case of Jakarta province, Indonesia

The purpose of this study was to analyze the development and fluctuation of basic food prices in traditional markets in Jakarta before and during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The study used performance reports from the Indonesian Central Statistical Institute (BPS), National Center for Food Price Information (PHPI), various government agencies, the latest news from reliable online media, and similar studies. The scope of the research focused on the development of basic food prices in traditional markets from January 2019 to May 2021 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The basic food prices discussed in this study were shallots, rice, red chili, and garlic. Results showed that, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the price fluctuations of shallots in the traditional markets of Jakarta was not significant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rice prices remained stable due to the government's welfare program. The price of red chili in traditional markets tended to decrease due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic caused fluctuations in garlic prices in traditional markets in Jakarta, and this was because garlic imports from China faced logistical difficulties.

Economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on household vegetable consumption in the city of C..cuta, Colombia

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the agrifood system of the country, in its productive chains from the supply, marketing and consumption of food in households. Within this ontological framework, the research project "Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in the agrifood security of the department of Norte de Santander 2020-2021" is being developed, obtaining partial results on the effects of the pandemic in the consumption of vegetables in the homes of the city of C..cuta, capital of the department. Databases of (CENABASTOS and MINIAGRICULRURA 2019, 2020) and heads of families were consulted through an online survey of 323 households of members of the community of the University of Santander (UDES) in the period January-July 2021 on variations in the quantity, quality, price and frequency of consumption of the main vegetables produced in the department (potato, tomato, paprika, onion and garlic). Results indicate that when comparing the prices of the years 2019 (before the pandemic) and 2021 (third peak of the pandemic), price increases of potato by 97.90%, tomato by 2.39%, white onion by 105.02%, garlic by 23.79% and carrot by 2.53% are evidenced. In the surveys, the perception of the heads of household indicates that the quantity of vegetables consumed has been affected by 42.48%, quality by 37.08%, prices by 49.59% and frequency by 33.08%.

The pattern of changes in prices and marketing margins for foodstuffs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Food products are the main concern for the government and people of Indonesia. Changes in food prices have significant effects on the welfare of the population. Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected community activities and the food agribusiness system. This study analyzes patterns of changes in prices and marketing margins of seven main food products in Indonesian food consumption i.e. rice, shallots, garlic, red chillies, cayenne pepper, cooking oil, and sugar, after the Covid-19 pandemic by presenting descriptive statistics of daily food prices data from the National Strategic Food Price Information Center (PIHPSN). Based on empirical results, except for shallots and cooking oil, most food prices at various market levels have fallen during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the risk of food prices at various levels of the market has been increasing. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the magnitude and variability of marketing margins along the marketing chain also have been increasing. These findings imply the urgency of Institutional policies that can increase market transparency and competition appears to be more effective in the long term at reducing the price shocks caused by Covid-19 at various levels of the market than price interventions.