New Delhi, Aug 28: India has urged developed countries to substantially reduce their agricultural subsidies if they expect the developing countries to provide market access through reduction in import tariffs, which is the only instrument available to them for protecting their farmers. Reacting to the revised draft of the ministerial declaration to be adopted at the Cancun meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), India also highlighted the wide gap between the rich and poor countries, which necessitates a lower level of commitments for the latter.
“For India, with over 650 million people dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, it becomes all the more important that the agricultural negotiations do not become a tool to impoverish them further. Some countries in their interventions had mentioned about the two categories of commitments being taken by members on market access.
Members should realise that in any case, there are two categories of members, one with deep pockets, who subsidise their agriculture heavily, leading to the distortions and the others who have no financial resources to provide support to their farmers even when required,” India said in a statement at a WTO general council meeting yesterday. Bureau Report