Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Farmers First: Piyush Goyal assures full protection to Agriculture, Dairy in India-US trade deal
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, February 4, 2026: The interim India–US trade agreement announced recently sparked concern among Indian farmers, particularly after a tweet by US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on February 2, 2026. In her post, Rollins said the deal would enable the export of more American farm products to India’s large market, help raise prices for US farmers, and reduce the bilateral agricultural trade deficit.
The statement triggered alarm among farmer organisations, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, and several opposition leaders, who warned that subsidised US agricultural and dairy products could flood Indian markets and threaten the livelihoods of domestic farmers.
These apprehensions, rooted in past global trade experiences, were widely seen as understandable, given that agriculture and dairy have traditionally been treated as non-negotiable red lines in India’s trade negotiations.
Addressing these fears directly, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal offered a clear and categorical clarification in the Lok Sabha on February 4, 2026.
Speaking in Parliament, Minister Goyal firmly stated that India’s sensitive agricultural and dairy sectors remain fully protected under the agreement. “India has been successful in protecting the agricultural and dairy sectors,” he told the House.
He further emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “has never allowed the interests of farmers to be compromised” and that “adequate safeguards are built in to protect these sectors from unfair competition.” The minister also clarified that India’s sensitivities in fertiliser and agriculture have been fully taken into account.
Officials familiar with the negotiations said these assurances are backed by concrete provisions. Finalised after nearly a year of intensive talks, the agreement reflects India’s consistent negotiating stance. Core agricultural staples, dairy products and other sensitive items have been excluded from concessions that could destabilise domestic markets.
While the US side has highlighted potential gains for its farmers, India has not agreed to any blanket market opening or zero-tariff regime for agricultural goods. Any tariff adjustments, sources said, are confined strictly to non-sensitive categories.
Minister Goyal underlined that the primary objective of the government remains the welfare and security of Indian farmers.
He said the agreement aligns with the broader goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat by promoting labour-intensive exports such as textiles, apparel, leather, gems and jewellery, engineering goods and seafood, thereby generating employment and strengthening MSMEs without undermining agriculture.
“The government’s first priority is farmers,” the minister asserted, urging stakeholders to rely on facts rather than fear. He noted that a forthcoming joint India–US statement would outline the final details of the agreement, but stressed that the message from Parliament was already clear: Indian farmers’ interests are secure, agriculture and dairy remain protected, and there is no cause for alarm.
The government, he said, has secured a balanced trade arrangement—one that opens new economic opportunities for the country while keeping farmers firmly at the centre of its policy framework.