Unfettered imports under the proposed FTA would also affect coffee, silk, arecanut, coconut and spices grown in the state, the forum fears. | Photo credit: GOVARTHAN M.
Stating that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by India with the European Union would be against the interest of farmers in Karnataka, The Way Forward – Forum of Public Intellectuals, Cultural Voices and Civil Society urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to convene a special legislative session to pass a resolution urging the Center to keep agriculture and animal husbandry out of the reach of the FTA.
Urging the state government to release a ‘White Paper’ on the adverse impact of the FTA on small and marginal farmers, the forum said the Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be strengthened to protect farmers from the impact of FTA. While India is negotiating an agreement with the US, the forum has also opposed it.
In a letter to the chief minister, agricultural economist and Karnataka Planning and Policy Commission member TN Prakash Kammaradi said the FTA was against the spirit of federalism as agriculture was in the state list and that the Center had not consulted any state in this regard. He said there was no transparency in the matter.
He expressed concern about the arrival of genetically modified foods such as corn and soy in the country, saying the free trade agreement would create an uneven playing field as US farmers and EU farmers receive subsidies, allowing these products to enter India at prices lower than their production costs.
Identifying the specific products from Karnataka that would be affected, the forum said the Karnataka Milk Federation would be severely affected by cheaper imports of milk powder, cheese and other dairy products from the EU. Unlimited imports under the proposed free trade agreement would also affect coffee, silk, arecanut, coconut and spices grown in the state. It warned that if cheaper maize and distillate dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a by-product of US-produced ethanol, were imported, the maize market in Dharwad, Haveri and other districts would collapse. Easy import of cheaper processed vegetables would similarly harm vegetable regions such as Kolář and other districts.
The forum feared that the FTA would prevent exports of agricultural products from India under the pretext of sanitary and phytosanitary standards, biosecurity rules and pesticide limit besides restricting access to seeds for farmers through IPR measures.
Published – 06 Apr 2026 20:02 IST
