A pact impacting agriculture necessitates consultations with State governments to avoid severe socio-economic and ecological consequences, said Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad
| Photo Credit:
MANJUNATH HS
The Kerala government has expressed its “grave concern” over the India-US bilateral trade deal negotiations, and underlined that a pact impacting agriculture necessitates consultations with State governments to avoid severe socio-economic and ecological consequences.
“After thoughtful deliberation on the far-reaching implications of such concessions, we must register our firm and unequivocal opposition to any agreement that endangers the livelihoods of millions and threatens the very foundation of Kerala’s and India’s agricultural economy,” Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad said in letters to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday.
With the July 9 deadline for imposition of full 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs by the US on Indian goods fast approaching, we acknowledge and commend India’s proactive efforts to secure tariff exemptions and expand market access for key labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, and engineering goods, Prasad noted.
“However, the US demand for sweeping concessions in India’s agricultural and dairy sectors is deeply concerning, particularly for agrarian States like Kerala, where agriculture forms :the backbone of the rural economy,” he said.
Kerala’s agriculture, centered on cash crops such as coconut, rubber, pepper, cardamom, tea, and coffee, supports millions of smallholder farmers, and the proposed FTA with the US poses multiple risks, the Minister stated.
Prasad further said that NITI Aayog’s recommendation for duty-free imports of GM soyabean and maize contradicts India’s policy prohibiting GM crops for food. He was referring to a recommendation made in a working paper by Niti Aayog which is not available on the website any longer.
GM seeds
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has reaffirmed that there are no plans to allow GM seeds in India, the letter added.
“Such imports would benefit large US farmers and multinational corporates at the expense of Indian smallholders, undermining Kerala’s organic and sustainable agriculture practices, particularly in spices and coconut,” the letter noted.
The introduction of GM crops and industrialised feed products threatens Kerala’s agricultural biodiversity and the ecological balance of the Western Ghats, compromising food sovereignty and consumer health preferences, said Prasad.
Published on July 3, 2025