Indian Farmers Urge Exclusion of Dairy from India-U.S. Trade Agreement

The Thalavady Farmers Association has formally requested the Indian government to exclude agriculture and the dairy sector from the upcoming India-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This request was submitted on January 5, 2026, to the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in Erode. The association's representative, Mr. Kannaiyan, expressed significant concerns over the implications of opening Indian markets to agricultural and dairy imports from the United States.

The association highlighted that allowing imports such as wheat, soybean, canola, milk, and other dairy products could undermine domestic prices, particularly affecting maize farmers who are already facing challenges in covering their cultivation costs. Mr. Kannaiyan emphasized that the Indian dairy sector, which is the largest in the world and relies heavily on small and marginal farmers, could suffer from the influx of subsidized dairy imports. This, he argued, would threaten the livelihoods of approximately 150 million families dependent on the sector.

Furthermore, Mr. Kannaiyan warned that the import of crops for ethanol production could further depress domestic prices, exacerbating the distress among Indian farmers. The association urged the Indian government to consider these factors and exclude agriculture and dairy from not only the proposed India-U.S. FTA but all future trade agreements.