Protesting Farmers Demand Centre to Keep Agriculture out of WTO Agreements

Farmers' organisation Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) gave a call for observing February 26 as "Quit WTO Day" in support of their demand for keeping agriculture out of World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements. The farmers' protest in view of WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference being held from February 26 to 29 in Abu Dhabi.

New Delhi : The protesting farmers are now demanding from the BJP-led government at the Centre to keep out the agriculture sector from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement.

"In the WTO, there is no positive policy for farmers. The farmers have been demanding for the last several decades to keep out the agriculture sector from this kind of agreements which force a cut in subsidies to agriculture. We don't compare our agriculture sector with developed countries that's why farmers are against WTO policies," said Gaurav Tikait who is associated with farming sector.

The farmers registered their protest ahead of WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference which is being held from February 26 to 29 in Abu Dhabi. A delegation from India led by a Union Minister will also attend the conference.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a farmers' body, called to observe February 26 as "Quit WTO Day" to mark their protest against it. Talking about the impact of WTO policies, expert in farmers-related issues Yogendra Yadav said, "WTO is an agreement of several countries. It has an ideology to provide free trade. If any country doesn't follow it or create hurdles, then penalty will be imposed against them."

"There is a clause relating to any of the countries that doesn't offer price beyond 10 percent of the market rate. It is an interesting fact that Indian farmers as well as European farmers are demanding to keep the agriculture sector out of WTO agreement," Yadav pointed out.

On this issue, protesting farmers are demanding from the Central government to put pressure on the developed countries to keep agriculture out of the WTO in 13th Ministerial Conference of WTO which is being held in Abu Dhabi.

"India’s food security and price support programmes are subjects of repeated disputes at WTO. The major agricultural exporting countries proposed a 50 percent cut in the global level of WTO members’ entitlements to support agriculture by the end of 2034," SKM claimed in a communique.

"India’s National Food Security System – including the system of MSP and public procurement, and the distribution of grain through the National Food Security Act – has been a subject of recurrent disputes at the WTO," SKM claimed.

Expressing his views on the issue, Naresh Sirohi, an expert in agriculture sector, said, "WTO policy opens a free market for countries for trade which is critical for Indian farmers as this policy doesn't support subsidy system that is why farmers don't want it."

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