Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Forum criticises agri policy

Staff Reporter

ERODE: Executive president of the Farmers' Forum of India, Krishen Peer Chowdry, has lashed out at the agricultural policy of Government of India, which, he said, has "failed to protect" the interests of farmers.

Addressing farmers and students of the Vellalar College for Women at the College, Mr. Chowdry charged the Government with letting down farmers on three fronts. "Our Government has failed to protect us in subsidy, quantitative restrictions and tariff and market access in this globalised world."

Promise gone

Elaborating on the point, he said the promise of a level-playing field for the member countries that made India join the World Trade Organisation over a decade ago has gone. Today, developed countries that offer one subsidy after another enjoy the WTO fruits, while developing countries suffer.

"Ten years ago developed countries promised to reduce their agricultural subsidy by six per cent every year from the then US$ 265 bn. Today, it is US$ 365 bn, that is farmers in developed countries are given subsidy to the tune of US $ one bn a day." Terming it "befooling exercise" on poor farmers he asked how an Indian farmer would cope with and compete in such an unfair competition.

Mr. Chowdry said he had taken up the issue with WTO chief Pascal Lamy himself, who, he claimed, agreed to the suggestion.

On market access, he accused the Indian Government of allowing imports with little restrictions. "When Indian farmers export wheat or other produce, the West comes up with one or the other reasons such as sanitary or phyto-sanitary for rejection. Whereas, apples imported have newer weeds and pesticide residues," he alleged.

Denouncing the growth of Bt cotton, he claimed there had been no increase in production as claimed by the promoters. In fact, there had been only decrease and the much touted resistance to ballworm insect had also been proved wrong. "The argument put forth by Bt cotton supporters that it helped reduce the use of pesticide is wrong, as the consumption has only increased."

He wanted the Government to protect farmers just as the West was doing.

Head of the Erode Farmers' Association, Nallasamy, and secretary of the College, S. D. Chandrasekaran, participated.

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