No genetically modified products permitted under India-US trade deal: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Clarification came in in response to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘betrayal of farmers’ remark
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday asserted that no genetically modified (GM) products had been permitted under the India-US trade deal, in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “betrayal of farmers” remark.
In a strongly-worded reaction on X, the minister said, “Rahul Gandhi is spreading lies day and night, and indulging in negative and misleading politics. No GM crops or GM-based products have been approved in any deal with the United States. His concerns over DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles) are baseless.”
“The country understands the anti-farmer character of the Congress, whether in power or in Opposition,” he added.
His response came after the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha sought a clarification from the government over possible GM imports, soybean oil and removal of “non-trade barriers” in the proposed trade pact, warning of risks to farmers and MSP safeguards.
Countering the Congress leader on the minimum support price (MSP) issue, Chouhan said the Opposition party had failed to implement the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation of providing MSP at 1.5 times the cost of production when it was in power. “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government has ensured higher MSPs and record procurement benefiting farmers,” he added.
