Indian trade unions have called for a nationwide protest on February 12 against the new trade agreement signed between India and the United States. This was reported by the Reuters agency.
According to the agency, the United Peasant Front (SKM), which coordinates the activities of more than 100 Indian farm unions, announced that the agreement would allow the import of subsidized American agricultural products. This can lead to a decrease in domestic prices and a reduction in the incomes of the rural population.
According to SKM's statement, the new Indo-US "trade structure" is effectively tantamount to total capitulation to American agricultural transnational corporations. "We will not allow the opening of the Indian agricultural sector to American companies," said Purushottam Sharma, the national secretary of the organization. He emphasized that the reduction of customs duties, particularly for unrefined soybean oil, which is currently taxed at 16.5%, will cause serious damage to the producers of domestic oilseed crops.
According to Rakesh Tikait, one of the leaders of the farmers' movement, American agricultural producers own large tracts of land and receive higher subsidies, while Indian farmers have to suffer crop losses also due to weak infrastructure and rising costs of growing crops.
