No new issue in agri till permanent solution on public stockholding: India at a WTO meet
WTO grouping with a major interest in farm trade that it will not discuss any new issue in the agriculture segment like imposition of export restrictions before a permanent solution is found with regard to public stockholding of food grains, an official said. This position was cleared during a mini-ministerial virtual meeting of about 28 WTO (World Trade Organisation) member countries on agriculture issues on November 28.
In the meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal put forward New Delhi's approach to the issue saying that public procurement and stockholding of food grains serve the twin objectives of food security and income support to marginal farmers.
The 19-member Cairns group, which includes agri-exporting nations, lobbies for agricultural trade liberalisation. It was formed in 1986 in Cairns, Australia. Its members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Peru.
Group members want the WTO to discuss comprehensive agriculture trade reforms such as not imposing export restrictions.
The group's representative was present in the virtual meeting.
«India has made it clear that no new issue in the agri sector can be discussed in the WTO before finding a permanent solution to a mandated issue of the public stockholding,» the government official, who did not wish to be named, said.
