Trade deal with United States is a pact that will ruin farmers of Punjab and country: CM Bhagwant Mann
CHANDIGARH(The Uttam Hindu) :
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday cautioned that the proposed India–US (United States) trade agreement could inflict damage on Indian agriculture far greater than the three black farm laws that had triggered a historic farmers’ movement. Speaking in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha while winding up a debate on a resolution moved by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, the Chief Minister warned that opening India’s agricultural markets to heavily subsidised American produce would leave farmers in Punjab and across the country struggling to compete.
Declaring the trade deal a threat to the country’s agricultural sovereignty, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said the agreement could place India’s farming sector at the mercy of foreign powers, even as the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed a condemnation resolution against the proposed deal.
Addressing the House, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The India–US agreement is even more dangerous than the three controversial farm laws brought by the Modi government and can severely harm India’s agriculture. Earlier the East India Company captured and plundered India, and now the ‘West India Company’ has started infiltrating the country. This agreement can destroy Indian agriculture, and the agriculture sector must be kept completely outside it.”
The Chief Minister further pointed out that states had neither been consulted nor informed about the proposed agreement. “No state government has been consulted or even informed about the India–US agreement so far. It is unclear what compulsion the Prime Minister has in this matter. One begins to wonder whether India’s decisions are now being influenced by the White House and whether the remote of the Union government is in foreign hands,” he stated.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann added that the manner in which major developments are communicated has also raised serious questions. “When the India–Pakistan ceasefire took place, the information was first shared by Donald Trump through a tweet, and India came to know about it later. This situation reflects poorly on the functioning of the government,” he noted.
Expressing concern over the agricultural implications of the agreement, the Chief Minister said cheaper imports of feed substitutes such as DDGS and soybean oil could depress the prices of maize and soybean, thereby affecting Punjab’s ongoing crop diversification efforts. He added, “Even if cotton imports are regulated through quotas, they may still exert downward pressure on prices, adversely impacting cotton farmers in Punjab’s Malwa region.”
He also warned that easing certain non-tariff barriers could increase the risk of the entry of GMO material and the spread of new pests, plant diseases and invasive weeds. “Such developments may pose a serious threat to Punjab’s agricultural ecosystem,” the Chief Minister said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann further stated that the agricultural structure in the United States is vastly different from that in India. “Agriculture in the United States operates on large landholdings, higher subsidies and economies of scale, enabling producers to export at lower prices. In such a scenario, farmers in Punjab will find it extremely difficult to compete with American agricultural products.”
He pointed out that soya meal from the United States would reportedly be imported in huge quantities for cattle feed. “Punjab cultivates around 1.25 lakh hectares of maize, and both maize and soybean crops could be adversely affected by this pact. Similarly, cotton imports from the US may impact farmers in Punjab, where cotton is grown on about 2.5 lakh acres,” the Chief Minister said.
Highlighting the disparity in farm sizes and subsidies, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “In the US, the average farmer owns about 500 acres of land, and American farmers receive around 35% more subsidy than Indian farmers. In contrast, farmers in Punjab typically own only two to two-and-a-half acres of land, making competition extremely difficult.”
He also warned that intellectual property provisions could prevent farmers from saving seeds for the next crop season. “Farmers may not be allowed to save seeds for the next crop season as seeds would come under patent protection. Farmers would effectively become customers of multinational corporations, and seed dealers would be required to obtain fresh licences. This agreement opens the doors for foreign companies to dominate the agricultural sector,” the Chief Minister said.
Taking a dig at the Prime Minister’s foreign engagements, the CM Bhagwant Singh Mann remarked, “The Prime Minister often travels to countries whose names many people have not even heard of. These visits appear to be well-orchestrated shows in small countries with populations of around 10,000. Instead of wandering in such countries, he should focus on listening to the voices of India’s 1.25 billion people.”
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann also referred to the Prime Minister’s appearance on a wildlife programme and stated that platforms such as the Discovery Channel were being used for self-promotion. Recalling historical experiences, he said that wheat imported from the United States had once brought the invasive weed “Congress grass,” which continues to cause problems in India.
The Chief Minister further expressed concern that the share of agriculture in the Union Budget had declined sharply. “Agriculture once received about 25% of the Union Budget, but it has now been reduced to around 7%. At the same time, Indian fruits and agricultural products face strict testing abroad, while products imported from the US are often cleared through laboratories approved there,” he observed.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann also stated that opposition voices are frequently suppressed when they raise issues in Parliament. He remarked that instead of making India a “Vishwaguru,” Modi government risks becoming a "Vishwa Chela.”
He said the Centre’s approach toward Punjab has reflected consistent neglect. “While Punjab did not receive adequate funds during floods, financial aid was provided to Afghanistan. The Centre has also been withholding funds related to the Rural Development Fund (RDF), GST and the National Health Mission from Punjab.”
The Chief Minister also stated that attempts to take control of Chandigarh and Panjab University would not be tolerated. He added that most decisions in the central government appear to be concentrated in the hands of only two leaders, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that when he approached Union ministers regarding the lifting of food grain stocks and the supply of fertilizers, they responded that approval was required from the top leadership. He also expressed concern about India’s foreign policy, stating that even at several international events the Prime Minister was not invited, which reflected poorly on the country’s standing.
He also criticized the decision to allow 51% Foreign Direct Investment in the defence sector despite earlier opposition to FDI. “Instead of changing the names of government buildings and cities, the Centre should focus on improving the lives of people,” the Chief Minister asserted.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated that criticizing the Prime Minister is a democratic right and that anyone speaking against the government should not be labelled anti-national. He also remarked that agencies such as the ED and CBI are being misused for political purposes and that the voice of democracy is being stifled.
Referring to several political leaders in Punjab, he said that figures such as Captain Amarinder Singh, Sunil Jakhar, Manpreet Singh Badal, Partap Singh Bajwa and Ravneet Singh Bittu remain silent on the injustice being done to Punjab and Punjabis.
The Chief Minister concluded by urging farmers’ unions, agricultural experts and intellectuals to unite and raise their voices against the agreement. “It is the need of the hour to protect the future of Indian agriculture. Otherwise the Union government will plunder the rights of the country and its people and mortgage them before the US. Such a dastardly act is neither acceptable nor desirable,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann added.
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed a condemnation resolution against the proposed India–US trade agreement.