Farmers’ interests non-negotiable in Indo-US trade deal: Centre
The Centre on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the interests of Indian farmers and national food security remain non-negotiable priorities in the ongoing discussions for an Indo-US bilateral trade agreement, especially in the agricultural sector.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur said India was actively engaged in negotiations aimed at expanding trade and investment ties with the US under the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.
The discussions, he said, were focused on increasing mutual market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and integrating supply chains in the agriculture sector, which is a key area of interest for both countries. However, Thakur asserted that the livelihood concerns of Indian farmers and the imperatives of food security would remain at the core of any agreement.
“The livelihood interests of our farmers and requirements of food security have always been paramount for the government while negotiating trade agreements with our international partners, including the US," the minister stated in the written reply.
The proposed agreement aims to promote fair and inclusive economic growth, with a special emphasis on labour-intensive sectors, such as agriculture. The government maintained that any potential deal will be structured in a way that benefits domestic stakeholders and ensures sustainable growth in the sector.
The trade talks are being closely watched by farmers’ bodies and industry stakeholders, with many calling for transparency and adequate safeguards to ensure that India’s agrarian economy does not face undue pressure from foreign imports.
Recently, a NITI Aayog working paper titled ‘Promoting India-US Agricultural Trade Under the New US Trade Regime’, which was later removed from its website, had outlined a roadmap to boost India’s agricultural exports to the US while strategically opening select segments to American imports.
The paper stated that India, which has traditionally maintained a trade surplus with the US in agriculture, needed a carefully balanced strategy that combined immediate responses with long-term structural reforms to navigate challenges posed by former US President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes.
It proposed a multi-pronged action plan aimed at protecting domestic producers while promoting broader national interests without triggering trade conflicts.
Top News