Interests of farmers, country paramount in Free Trade Agreements: Minister Chouhan
Srinagar, Apr 27 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the interests of the farmers and the country have been kept paramount in all the free trade agreements (FTAs) between India and other nations.
He was reacting to the allegations of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “sold” India’s agriculture to the US.
“They (Congress) did not do anything ever. They destroyed farmers and our farms.
“Now if we are working, he has to make accusations here or there. I can say this firmly that all the FTAs that have taken place have been done while keeping the interests of the people of India above all,” Chouhan told reporters here.
The Union minister said the FTAs have been done keeping the interests of the farmers paramount.
“There have been several FTAs, (but) there has been none with the US yet. Whichever FTA has been done, those are in the interests of the farmers and the country,” he added.
To a question about concern among Apple growers over the FTA with New Zealand, Chouhan said the import is being done on “our own conditions”.
