Government Enhances Support for Farmers with New Trade Measures
The government is committed to ensuring the stability of the nation’s agricultural sector by maintaining vigilant oversight over import and export activities. Recently, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, outlined the government’s strategies aimed at protecting farmers’ interests while adapting trade policies to meet domestic needs.
Inter-Ministerial Committee Monitors Agricultural Commodities
Centrally, an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) plays a key role in monitoring essential agricultural commodities, including participation from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. This committee regularly analyzes the availability of products and changing market conditions. It keeps a watchful eye on import trends to quickly assess potential impacts on domestic production and food security.
Protecting Farmers Through Targeted Measures
To safeguard farmers and curb unnecessary imports, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) takes proactive measures. The department evaluates the import of agricultural products and suggests necessary actions such as imposing import duties or implementing port restrictions to relevant ministries. These efforts are part of an overarching strategy to protect farmers and mitigate market disruptions.
Support Initiatives for Farmers
The government supports farmers through various ongoing schemes, including:
- Market intervention via the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism for specific crops.
- Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) operations to manage price volatility for crucial commodities like onions.
- Market intelligence operations coupled with buffer stocking managed by central agencies.
- Income and input support initiatives such as PM-KISAN to alleviate farmers’ income fluctuations.
These programs collectively aim to minimize the adverse effects of market disruptions on farmers.
Linking Farmers with Global Markets
The Department of Commerce, particularly through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), offers financial support to enhance global connections for farmers. APEDA facilitates financial assistance for adhering to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards mandated by international buyers. This initiative aims to ensure that farmers can meet export quality requirements effectively.
Capacity Building and Global Participation
In the fiscal year 2025-26, approximately 1,080 capacity-building and training programs were executed across India in collaboration with state government agencies. These programs primarily target exporters, including Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), and Self-Help Groups (SHGs), facilitating their integration into export supply chains and boosting their entrepreneurial potential.
APEDA also plays a pivotal role in promoting Indian exporters in prominent international food exhibitions and buyer-seller meets, such as World Food India, Indus Food, AAHAR, and Gulf Food. This strategy not only opens up new markets for farmers but also enhances the visibility and competitiveness of Indian agricultural products on a global stage.
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