Farm leaders ask govt to quit Doha if concerns not addressed

As WTO trade talks on cutting farm subsidies and industrial tariffs reach a critical juncture, farm leaders in India have said the country should withdraw from the Doha negotiations if the livelihood concerns of its farmers are not addressed in the Round.

Rejecting the fresh WTO proposals on agriculture, 30 heads of farm associations from across the country have asked the government to "withdraw from the ongoing negotiations as any compromise will jeopardise the future of Indian farming".

The leaders, representing farmers, fishermen, agriculture labourers, forest dwellers and dairy farmers, gathered here at a conference organised by the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security and UNCTAD India.

They also demanded that India's stand on the WTO proposals on agriculture and industrial goods be debated in Parliament before it is presented in Geneva.

"The Indian government should not participate in the Ministerial Meeting of WTO without a debate in Parliament as well as at the state level," Karnataka Pradesh Red Gram Growers Association President Basavaraj Ingin said.