India took firm stand on food security issue in WTO meet

NEW DELHI: The government informed Parliament that India took a firm stand on the food security issue in the WTO meeting at Bali where it was agreed that the existing arrangement would continue with regard to farm subsidy.

The conference agreed on a ministerial decision that provides for an interim period of protection to public stockholding programmes for food security purposes of developing country from being challenged in the WTO on allegations of exceeding the support which they are entitled to provide, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry E M Sudarsana said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

He said that the WTO members agreed to an interim mechanism so that even if the limit available to developing countries is exceeded, this would not be challenged provided certain conditions are fulfilled.

"It further provides that this protection will be available till Members must agree on a permanent solution on this issue for adoption by the Eleventh Ministerial Conference of the WTO," he said.

The development would help India in implementing its food security plan smoothly. It was apprehended that India could breach the 10 per cent farm subsidy cap after full implementation of the programme.

India's Food Security Act entitles 82 crore people to 5 kg of foodgrains per person a month at Rs 1-3 per kg. The country needs 62 million tonnes foodgrains a year to implement the law.