India–US trade deal: Piyush Goyal categorically denies concessions on US agricultural products
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India–US trade deal: Piyush Goyal categorically denies concessions on US agricultural products")
Photograph: (ANI)
Indian agriculture would face lower reciprocal tariffs compared to competitors, while certain items, such as tea, coffee, spices, coconut, coconut oil and vegetable wax, continue to enjoy zero tariffs, the minister declared.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday (Feb 08) firmly denied India giving any concessions to the United States in agriculture and reiterated that the centre has ensured that the interests of farmers and producers of the country remain safeguarded. He alleged that the farmers are being misled by a few political elements that aim to distort issues.
"Not at all," responded Goyal during an interview with ANI to query about India giving concessions on the agriculture sector. "We have not opened or given any concession to meat, poultry, to any GM foods or their products, any soya meal, corn, maize, cereals like rice and wheat or millets like jawar, bajra, ragi or kodo amongst others, sugar, fruits which are produced in India like banana, strawberry, cherries, citrus fruits, pulses like green peas, kabuli chana, moong where we have enough production, oilseeds, certain animal feed, groundnuts, honey, malt and its extracts, non-alcoholic beverages, flour and meals, starch, essential oils, ethanol for fuel, tobacco. These are sensitive to India. We have not given up," he said.
The union minister further explained that "An agreement is a whole series of negotiations around a variety of subjects, goods, different types of agricultural and non-agricultural products, and services, and both sides will have offensive and defensive interests.
However, "There is no correlation that I give up on agriculture or that I give in on another area. On agriculture, India's sensitivities and the interests of farmers and producers have been safeguarded 100 per cent," Goyal added.
On the accusation of the government giving concessions by the opposition and farm unions, Goyal said "few political elements" were attempting to "distort issues and divert attention from the support the central government had secured for farmers in the India-US interim trade agreement.
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These remarks from the commerce minister, who led negotiations from the Indian side, come after the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had given a call for a countrywide protest.
The government is ready to engage with any person to explain the agreement, he said, adding that "Farmers understand the huge potential and the possibilities of increasing their income thanks to the new markets that will open up for them."
"If anybody, any farm organisation, any journalist, any newspaper, any expert on farm economy has any concerns, please reach out to us," he proposed.
Indian agriculture would face lower reciprocal tariffs compared to competitors, while certain items, such as tea, coffee, spices, coconut, coconut oil and vegetable wax, continue to enjoy zero tariffs, the minister declared.
