POLITICAL CONSENSUS NECESSARY
FOR WTO AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE –AJIT SINGH
Agriculture Minister,
Shri Ajit Singh has called for evolving a political consensus
on WTO agreement on agriculture so that negotiations on the subject
may be carried on with full confidence. He was addressing a meeting
of Agriculture Ministers of States and Union Territories here
today to discuss and work out a strategy for renegotiation of
WTO Agreement on agriculture. Assuring protection of farmers’
interests Shri Ajit Singh said that our farmers have not suffered
due to WTO but because of the subsidies being given by the developed
nations to their farmers. Unless domestic subsidies are reduced
internationally, we will not be able to benefit from lower tariffs.
He added that the developed countries would have to reduce their
export subsidies so that developing nations like India which do
not have resources to provide that level of subsidy, could compete
in the global market.
Stating that WTO
is here to exist, Shri Singh said even those nations who were
not members of this Organization, were trying to gain entry due
to its advantages. Demanding a level playing field in the new
agreement on agriculture which would have to be completed before
2005, Shri Singh said that our farmers may have lower level of
technology but they are second to none in the world.
The Minister of State
for Agriculture, Shri Hukum Deo Narayan Yadav, Minister of State
for Commerce, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy and senior officials of Agriculture
Ministry participated in the meeting.
India is a member
of WTO and thus a signatory to the WTO Agreement on agriculture.
This Agreement came into effect from 1.1.1995. Under article 20
of agreement a review of the agreement has been undertaken. To
ensure protection of our national interest India has been participating
in renegotiation process actively. The negotiations have now reached
the crucial 3rd phase and modalities of the Agreement
are likely to be decided by the end of this year. The developing
countries including India have been pointing out the high level
of domestic support provided by the developed countries and its
harmful impact on the international prices of agricultural commodities.
Thus, these countries seek real and substantial reduction in the
domestic support provided by developed countries. Given the subsistence
nature of agriculture in developing countries, these countries
have also demanded a special treatment provided to them for extending
the necessary support to their agriculture, without any reduction
commitments. Similarly, in market access and export subsidy, the
developing countries seek reduction in the tariff levels and export
subsidy provided by developed countries and a special treatment
for developing countries calling for lesser commitments on them.
