India will protect farmers' interest in US trade talks: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

New Delhi: India will prioritise protecting its farmers' interests while assessing potential gains and losses in the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States over agricultural market access, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

"Our priority is to protect the interest of our farmers. India will not work closing its eyes. We will assess our gains and losses. Keeping that in mind, an agreement will be finalised," Chouhan told PTI in an interview.

He was responding to a query on how India would safeguard farmers amid US pressure for greater market access for American agricultural and horticultural products.

The negotiators are expected to agree on the framework for the broad contours of the first phase of the bilateral deal, expected to be signed by fall (September-October) 2025.

"The discussions are ongoing between India and the US. One thing is clear, we will protect the interest of our farmers. When we talk about two nations, we need to see the overall trade," the minister added.

According to a NITI Aayog report, "Promoting India-US Agricultural Trade under the new US Trade Regime", the value for US agriculture and allied product exports to India was about USD 2.22 billion in the triennium ending 2024.

In the same period, India exported $5.75 billion worth of agricultural products to the US.

India's main agricultural exports to the US include frozen shrimp, basmati rice, spices, processed cereals, and other value-added products.

The US wants to export more agricultural products such as corn, soybeans, and animal feed, but faces high Indian tariffs -- especially in agriculture, where average tariffs can reach up to 39-50 per cent.

The minister's comments come as India and the US continue negotiations on expanding agricultural trade, with Washington seeking reduced tariffs and improved market access for its farm products in the Indian market.

India is cautious about fully opening its agriculture and dairy markets due to concerns about potential backlash from rural communities and the need to protect domestic producers from global price volatility.