“India–US Trade Pact Will Push Farmers Into Deeper Crisis,” Warns Kishore Tiwari; Calls Agreement a ‘Hoax’

Nagpur: Senior farm activist Kishore Tiwari has launched a sharp attack on the proposed India–US trade agreement after the White Office issued an interim draft of the deal, warning that it could severely impact nearly 12 million farmers across Maharashtra’s suicide-affected regions of Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra. Tiwari, who has long worked among cotton farmers in Vidarbha, alleged that the agreement threatens to intensify the already fragile agrarian situation in these regions.

Rejecting the claim of Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal that the interests of Indian farmers are protected under the proposed trade pact, Tiwari termed the assurance a “hoax.” He argued that the agreement would lead to a sharp fall in domestic prices of cotton, soybean and other oilseeds, placing additional financial stress on farmers who are already battling low productivity, volatile markets and mounting debts.

One of Tiwari’s primary concerns is the proposal to allow duty-free import of long-staple cotton from the United States. Currently, India imposes an 11% duty on cotton imports. According to him, removing this duty would adversely affect around 12 million cotton farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada. He warned that permitting duty-free cotton imports from the US — the world’s largest cotton fiber exporter — would exert downward pressure on domestic cotton prices. Tiwari cautioned that such a move could further aggravate farmer distress and potentially increase suicide cases in Maharashtra’s cotton-growing belt. He has demanded a complete ban on duty-free cotton imports under the agreement.

The activist also raised objections to the proposed duty-free import of soybean oil from the US, calling it “against the interest of oilseed producers in Maharashtra.” Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are among the major producers of cotton seed, soybean and groundnut oilseeds in India. However, Tiwari pointed out that productivity in these states remains significantly lower than in the US. Farmers, he said, are already under pressure due to large-scale palm oil imports. If soybean oil imports from the US rise further, domestic oilseed processing industries and soybean growers will face heavy losses. He insisted that the agreement would directly hurt oilseed cultivation in India at a time when the government has implemented programs to curb edible oil imports and boost domestic production.

Tiwari further opposed the duty-free import of Ethylene-containing Distillers’ Dry Grain Solubles (DDGS), calling it “unwarranted.” He stated that India already has a surplus supply of DDGS. Ethanol producers in the country are reportedly struggling with idle capacity and declining demand after India achieved its 20% biofuel blending target. According to Tiwari, increased DDGS imports would reduce income opportunities for domestic ethanol producers who sell DDGS in the local market.

Alleging that India has sidelined farmers’ interests in negotiating the trade pact, Tiwari demanded that the US–India trade deal be scrapped. He maintained that duty-free imports of cotton, soybean oil and DDGS would collectively damage India’s cotton and oilseed sectors and deepen the agrarian crisis in vulnerable regions of Maharashtra.