India looking to nations for agri support
Unhappy with the fresh proposal on agriculture at the WTO meeting, India is looking up to over 100 developing countries for support on agriculture.
By PTI |
GENEVA: Unhappy with the fresh proposal on agriculture at the WTO meeting here, India is looking up to over 100 developing countries for support to ensure that farmers remain protected after a global trade deal is signed for liberalising the farm and other sectors.
"India is trying to get support of 100 developing countries, including Africa, LDCs and G-33-- agriculture alliance of the developing countries- to change the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) provision," an Indian official said.
Lamy has circulated a new proposal on agriculture and non-agriculture market access yesterday which was discussed by the all the ministers in the greenroom. The proposal suggests "SSM for above bound rate trigger is 140 pert cent of base imports."
"This is not 'acceptable' to India because under this proposal by the time India activates the safeguard trigger, the 40 per cent surge in imports would have wreaked havoc with the livelihood of millions of small and poor farmers." the official said.
India is looking to get the support and trying to work with them and get them on board to exert pressure to get this safeguard mechanism changed, he said.
"It is the concern for those countries also and whatever remedial action we get to protect our farm sector from import surges, they (Africa and LDCs) will also get," official added.
The US wants India to agree to the SSM instrument when imports surge on a sustained basis by 40 per cent over the previous year, while India insisted that the mechanism can come into play if imports rise by about 10 per cent over the previous year.
"India is trying to get support of 100 developing countries, including Africa, LDCs and G-33-- agriculture alliance of the developing countries- to change the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) provision," an Indian official said.
Lamy has circulated a new proposal on agriculture and non-agriculture market access yesterday which was discussed by the all the ministers in the greenroom. The proposal suggests "SSM for above bound rate trigger is 140 pert cent of base imports."
"This is not 'acceptable' to India because under this proposal by the time India activates the safeguard trigger, the 40 per cent surge in imports would have wreaked havoc with the livelihood of millions of small and poor farmers." the official said.
India is looking to get the support and trying to work with them and get them on board to exert pressure to get this safeguard mechanism changed, he said.
"It is the concern for those countries also and whatever remedial action we get to protect our farm sector from import surges, they (Africa and LDCs) will also get," official added.
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The US wants India to agree to the SSM instrument when imports surge on a sustained basis by 40 per cent over the previous year, while India insisted that the mechanism can come into play if imports rise by about 10 per cent over the previous year.
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