By IANS,
New Delhi : Leaders of the Indian industry are worried over the way the agricultural issue, which calls for pruning farm subsidies by the rich nations, is being handled at the ongoing global trade talks, says a leading industry lobby.
The talks under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) had started in Doha, Qatar, in 2001 and had resulted in a stalemate last July after members failed to reach a consensus, largely on domestic support and market access in agriculture.
The Indian industry is gradually losing hopes of lower subsidies in agriculture after the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) received a communication from the WTO’s Agriculture Committee Chairman Crawford Falconer Monday on the status of agricultural negotiations.
“In order to secure and ensure the livelihood and food security of millions of people in developing countries who are dependent on agriculture, special products is the bedrock of agriculture negotiations under the Doha Round,” FICCI said in a statement Wednesday.
Special products are a group of products such as maize, cotton and rice on which India is demanding that tariffs on imports be cut.
On the issue of market access, the body noted that the negotiations are not going in favour of the developing nations.