Indian Farmers Demand Exclusion of Dairy from India-US Trade Deal

Thousands of Indian farmers gathered at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) to voice their concerns over the proposed India-US trade agreement. They demanded that the agriculture, dairy, and poultry sectors be excluded from the agreement, fearing that duty-free imports would severely impact domestic producers.

Farmer leaders described the trade deal as a potential 'death warrant' for Indian cultivators if agricultural products from the United States enter the domestic market without import duties. The rally participants emphasized the need for legal guarantees for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), citing past promises and the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, which have yet to be implemented.

A delegation from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha submitted resolutions from villages across the country to the Prime Minister's Office, highlighting the financial losses incurred by farmers due to the non-implementation of the MSP. They referenced an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report that estimated losses exceeding Rs 100 lakh crore for Indian farmers who did not receive the announced MSP.

Government data presented in Parliament was also cited, contrasting large corporate loan waivers with the lack of similar relief for farmers. According to Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Singh Karad, farmers' total outstanding debt stands at Rs 18.4 lakh crore.

Representatives from several states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, attended the gathering. They expressed a willingness to engage in a dialogue with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and urged the government to arrange a discussion date.