NEW DELHI: India plans to take up the issue of non-tariff barriers, especially in the area of processed foods, with major trading partners.

This was disclosed here by Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, who said a competitiveness study on the plantation sector would be undertaken soon.

Speaking at an interaction with representatives of the plantation and processed food sectors on Monday, he said that as part of the ongoing trade talks at the World Trade Organisation, India had already been pressing for removal of tariff peaks and escalations in developed countries which affected exports.

On the competitiveness study, he said it was imperative to assess the global competitiveness of the plantation sector which included tea, coffee, rubber and tobacco.

It would also work out long-term strategies for development of this vital sector on which many small growers in the country depended for their livelihood.

An official release says the Minister reiterated the government's commitment to protecting the interests of farmers and ensuring remunerative returns, especially for small growers. Productivity in terms of yield per hectare must be improved through a massive programme of rejuvenating and replanting, he said, as this would enable higher returns.

At the same time, he emphasised the need to maintain a balance between the requirements of domestic consumption and exports.

The issues discussed during the review were the cyclical nature of prices which were subject to the volatility of global markets, low productivity in sectors like tea due to old age of plants, vagaries of weather and pest and climate related risks as well as issues of quality and the need to increase India's global market share.

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