Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and others during the launch of ‘Bharat Vistaar’, AI Hackathon, Agri Fund and AI for Agriculture Roadmap in Jaipur on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ANI
Continuing his attack on the Congress party for opposing the US trade deal, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday wondered why he was opposing their import if the country needs pulses, cotton and apples. He also alleged that when Congress was in power, some decisions were taken in which the same commodity was allowed to be imported at a higher rate and exported at a lower rate.
no farmer loss
Addressing a gathering in Jaipur after launching the new farmer helpline under the Bharat-Vistar scheme, Chouhan sharply criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and alleged that the opposition’s story on the trade deal with the US is fake.
Chouhan said, “Whatever wheat, rice or maize we produce will not come (from the US). This has been specifically decided so that Indian farmers do not suffer any loss. But the products we need, we have to buy from outside… We all know that in the case of pulses we are not self-sufficient today – consumption is more than production. It is necessary to import it to meet the demand. Whatever product we need (to import) if it comes from any country.” So why is there any objection in this?”
apple, cotton
Apart from this, he also mentioned apple and cotton and defended the government’s decision to give concession to America.
Pointing out that India currently imports 5.50 lakh tonnes of apples per year, mainly from Turkey and Iran, he said: “If 1 lakh tonnes comes from the US, what loss will we have? Why order from Turkey, which opposed us during Operation Sindoor, let’s order from the US.” What difference does it make if the import is from one country instead of another, he said and added that it was also decided to keep a very small quota with a (minimum) import price of ₹80 per kg and 25 per cent duty. “By the time it reaches Jaipur, it will be sold at ₹150 per kg. So, what harm will happen to our apples?” he asked.
soybean, corn
Emphasizing that these decisions (on agricultural products) have been taken very thoughtfully, Chouhan also said that no concession has been given on soybean and maize.
Dairy Shield
Alleging that when the Congress party was in power, the doors of imports were open, he said the government has decided that milk, ghee, curd, cheese or any dairy product will not be allowed to come to Indian soil from outside so that Indian milk producing farmers never suffer losses.
demand for cotton
Regarding cotton, he said, domestic production is falling short of the demand of the cotton industry. We are not producing that much cotton here, so the industry has to import cotton from outside and then clothes are made from it and it is exported to our foreign countries, hence people are getting employment and work in our factories.
US fact sheet
Recently, the White House had revised its fact sheet on the interim trade agreement with India in which it removed “certain pulses” from the list of products on which it said India would eliminate or reduce tariffs. It changed the word “commit” to “intend” on purchasing US products worth more than US$500 billion, with the word “agriculture” removed from the list of items.
sugar, wheat row
Chouhan also asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to answer why the government did not create a buffer stock of sugar in 2006-07 and allow it to be exported. Also, without mentioning the year, he alleged that during the Congress period, sugar was imported at Rs 36 per kg and exported at Rs 12.50 per kg. Similarly, he alleged that in 2009-10, wheat was exported at Rs 12.51 per kg, when the rate of flour in India was Rs 20 per kg. The minister also accused the then PV Narasimha Rao-led government of putting edible oil imports under Open General License (OGL) in 1993-94, thereby ending India’s self-reliance.
Published on February 17, 2026
