Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, without naming the United States, on Saturday said some countries had pressured India to open its agricultural market but the nation today stands tall and engages confidently on the global stage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said national interest is paramount, and farmers’ interests will not be compromised, Chouhan asserted while speaking at a symposium in Vidisha, his Lok Sabha constituency, on advanced farming.
“Some countries were pressuring us to fully open the agricultural market, but today we can proudly say India is in a position to speak to the world with its chin up (in an assertive manner),” the Union agriculture minister said. “There was a time when we were forced to consume low-quality PL-480 wheat from the United States.
But today, our food reserves are abundant. India achieved record 3.7 per cent growth in agriculture this year, resulting in record production of wheat, rice and maize, which has filled the nation’s food reserves to the brim,” the minister informed.
The former MP chief minister said attempts to impose tariffs on India were expected to disrupt the economy, but the country achieved the highest GDP growth in just three months, with agriculture being the largest contributor. India’s GDP grew 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal, the highest in five quarters before the imposition of heavy tariff on the country by the United States. He also stressed the need to increase production with reduced costs.
