Don't compromise on agri subsidy issue at WTO: Left to UPA
After the nuclear deal, the Left now want the UPA Government to stand firm at the WTO negotiations on Doha Round, insisting that New Delhi should not compromise on the agricultural subsidy issue.
By PTI |
BANGALORE: After the nuclear deal, the Left now want the UPA Government to stand firm at the WTO negotiations on Doha Round, insisting that New Delhi should not compromise on the agricultural subsidy issue.
Talking to reporters here, CPI-M Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reportedly in his telephonic conversation with US President George W Bush early this week, had said India is prepared for "give and take" as far as the Doha Round is concerned.
He emphasised that the NAMA-11 (Non-Agriculture Market Access) bloc, a grouping of developing countries of which India is a member, and IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) have taken the position that the draft circulated by Chairman of the Doha Round is unacceptable to the developing nations.
"So, we want India not to deviate from that position. Because NAMA-11 and Doha Round have very grave implications for India's agriculture sector, and already we have a situation where more than 20,000 of our farmers are committing suicide every year," Yechury said.
"We think that this is something on which India cannot withdraw from its stated position and the Government should actually stick to its stand to ensure that India will not reduce its subsidies on agriculture till the West does not make reduction to a great extent," he added.
According to him, western countries are subsidising their agriculture massively while in some cases subsidies go up to 200 per cent in the US.
Talking to reporters here, CPI-M Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reportedly in his telephonic conversation with US President George W Bush early this week, had said India is prepared for "give and take" as far as the Doha Round is concerned.
He emphasised that the NAMA-11 (Non-Agriculture Market Access) bloc, a grouping of developing countries of which India is a member, and IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) have taken the position that the draft circulated by Chairman of the Doha Round is unacceptable to the developing nations.
"So, we want India not to deviate from that position. Because NAMA-11 and Doha Round have very grave implications for India's agriculture sector, and already we have a situation where more than 20,000 of our farmers are committing suicide every year," Yechury said.
"We think that this is something on which India cannot withdraw from its stated position and the Government should actually stick to its stand to ensure that India will not reduce its subsidies on agriculture till the West does not make reduction to a great extent," he added.
According to him, western countries are subsidising their agriculture massively while in some cases subsidies go up to 200 per cent in the US.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
