CETA agreement with UK safeguards Indian farmers

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi recently visited the United Kingdom, where the two nations inked the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The agreement is likely to bring numerous benefits to Indian agriculture and horticulture sectors.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while speaking to the media, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for securing a fair and farmer-friendly deal. He said the agreement would boost India’s agricultural exports while protecting the interests of domestic growers.

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At present, India exports agricultural and horticultural products to the UK worth nearly Rs 8,500 crore and imports around Rs 3,200 crore. With this deal it is expected that the trade gap will tilt in favour of India. However, several horticultural crops and fruits have been protected under the deal. There will be no duty cuts for the import of several fruits such as apples, pomegranates, grapes, pears, plums, mangoes, and guavas. This initiative will make Indian farmers competitive.

The deal also omits import duty concessions on important items such as cashews, almonds, walnuts, and vegetables like potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and peas. Numerous flowers like roses, lilies, and orchids have failed to get any tariff relaxations.