Farmers accuse govt of signing RCEP trade deal

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 22

Members of the state Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) has criticised the Central government for allegedly signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Programme (RCEP), a free trade agreement with 16 nations. They said it would hit the agriculture sector, especially the farming community.

The union said that it would hold a convention at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall on June 12 on the issue. Datar Singh, state convener of the KKU, said, “Under the agreement import duty on 85 items will be abolished. This will allow the government to import cheap wheat from Australia, milk from New Zealand and many other items from China.”

The farmers already reeling under economic distress would not be in a position to give tough competition, he said adding that the Central and the state government were backtracking from buying agricultural produce. The FCI this season has made negligible procurement of wheat in Punjab and Haryana.

Datar alleged that the government had signed the agreement with the WTO under which government cannot give subsidy to farmersbut it would be implemented from June. “Rich and developed countries have already laid a trap to harm the agriculture sector in poor countries ,” said Datar . He added that the KKU would aware the people on the issue and oppose it unitedly.