New Delhi: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Tuesday, made it clear that there would never be any compromise on farmers’ interests.
Speaking to reporters, Chouhan categorically said that, as the country’s agriculture minister, it was his responsibility to assure farmers that no compromise had been made on Indian farmers’ interests in any agreement. He was referring to the recently concluded India–US Trade Agreement, according to an official statement. In his words, the door is firmly closed to sensitive crops, such as wheat, rice, and maize.
Chouhan went on to state that India is now the world’s number one rice producer, having surpassed China. Therefore, no imports that could harm farmers have been accepted.
Regarding the apple issue, the minister pointed out that India requires approximately 5.5 lakh metric tonnes of apples every year, which are currently imported from countries such as Turkey and Iran.
He said that even if one lakh metric tonnes of apples are imported from the US out of the total annual requirement, under a quota system with a Rs25 duty added to the base import price of Rs80 per kg, it would not adversely impact Indian apple growers. Instead, he described it as merely a shift in sourcing from countries like Turkey to the US.
On soybeans and maize, the minister made it unequivocally clear that no concessions have been granted. He further pointed out that during the Congress-led government, agricultural imports worth USD20 billion were allowed, including dairy products.
Chouhan emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued clear instructions that no dairy products – including milk, ghee, curd, paneer or any other such items – will be permitted to enter the Indian market under any circumstances, to safeguard the interests of the country’s milk-producing farmers.
