Indo-US trade deal harmful to Maharashtra farmers: Congress leader
Says zero-duty US farm imports will hit domestic crops; alleges deal signed under pressure
Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday alleged that the India-US interim trade deal would be detrimental to the interests of farmers in Maharashtra, claiming that zero-duty agricultural imports from the United States would severely hurt domestic producers.
Reacting to the announcement of a framework for an interim trade agreement between India and the US, under which tariffs on Indian exports to the US will be reduced to 18 per cent, Wadettiwar said the arrangement was skewed against Indian farmers.
“The duty on Indian exports to the US will be 18 per cent, but agricultural exports from the US to India will come in at zero per cent duty. This will have a disastrous impact on farmers when new crops arrive in the market,” the former Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly told reporters here.
He claimed the agreement would effectively shut Indian farmers out of the market for key crops such as soybean, wheat, cotton and corn. “There will be no market left for these crops. This deal has been signed under pressure, and the Central government will have to face its consequences very soon,” he said.
Wadettiwar also linked the issue to agrarian distress in the state, claiming that at least 22 farmers had died by suicide in Yavatmal district alone in January due to mounting debt.
“The state government had promised a farm loan waiver before the elections. Even after one-and-a-half years in power, no concrete steps have been taken,” he alleged.
He further claimed that the Centre had rejected a loan waiver proposal forwarded by the Maharashtra government, accusing it of being insensitive to farmers’ plight.
The Congress leader also criticised the recently enacted VB-G RAM G Act, alleging that it would weaken guaranteed employment in rural areas. “Unlike MGNREGA, which assured 100 days of work, the new law will adversely affect rural livelihoods,” Wadettiwar said.
The BJP-led Centre has maintained that the interim trade deal will open up new opportunities for Indian exports and strengthen bilateral economic ties, a claim repeatedly contested by opposition parties, particularly over its implications for agriculture.