Fears among India’s farmers rise over US food imports crossing ‘red line’

India’s heavily protected agricultural sector is emerging as a flashpoint in trade talks with the United States, with analysts warning that opening the market to American food imports could endanger small Indian farmers and New Delhi’s long-standing food security policies.

Recent reports suggest that India has offered to US President Donald Trump, who previously labelled the country as “tariff king”, to eliminate levies on steel, auto components and pharmaceuticals on a reciprocal basis, up to a specified quota.

However, the US is reportedly pressuring New Delhi to also ease restrictions on its agricultural sector to allow greater access for American farm exports.

Washington has long sought to open up India’s agricultural sector, viewing it as a major trade opportunity, according to analysts. Yet India has fiercely defended its sector, citing food security and the livelihoods of millions of small farmers.

The challenge for India is that most Indian farmers are small-scale producers, making the sector highly sensitive to external pressures, according to Biswajit Dhar, a trade expert from the Delhi-based Council for Social Development think tank.