1)Internutionul Trude und World Murket

Updated: Oct. 13, 2011

n OcLober zo11 Congress pussed LIree Iong-uwuILed Iree Lrude ugreemenLs wILI SouLI Koreu, CoIombIu
und Punumu, endIng u poIILIcuI sLundoII LIuL Iud sLreLcIed ucross Lwo presIdencIes. TIe move oIIered u
rure momenL oI bIpurLIsun uccord uL u LIme wIen RepubIIcuns und DemocruLs were bILLerIy dIvIded over
LIe roIe LIuL governmenL ougIL Lo pIuy In revIvIng LIe spuLLerIng economy
TIe upprovuI oI LIe deuIs wus u vIcLory Ior PresIdenL Obumu und proponenLs oI LIe vIew LIuL IoreIgn Lrude
cun drIve AmerIcu`s economIc growLI In LIe Iuce oI rIsIng proLecLIonIsL senLImenL In boLI poIILIcuI purLIes.
TIey were LIe IIrsL Lrude ugreemenLs Lo puss Congress sInce DemocruLs broke u decude oI RepubIIcun
conLroI In zoo;.
TIe pussuge oI LIe Lrude deuIs wus ImporLunL prImurIIy us u poIILIcuI ucIIevemenL, und Ior ILs IoreIgn
poIIcy vuIue In soIIdIIyIng reIuLIonsIIps wILI sLruLegIc uIIIes. TIe economIc beneIILs ure projecLed Lo be
smuII. A IederuI ugency esLImuLed In zoo; LIuL LIe ImpucL on empIoymenL wouId be negIIgIbIe und LIuL
LIe deuIs wouId Increuse gross domesLIc producL by ubouL $1q.q bIIIIon, or rougIIy o.1 percenL.
TIe WIILe House depended on RepubIIcun supporL Ior LIe Lrude ugreemenLs Lo overcome LIe pussIonuLe
opposILIon oI DemocruLs concerned ubouL LIe Ioss oI AmerIcun jobs Lo IoreIgn compeLILIon. BuL IL ugreed
Lo submIL LIe deuIs Lo Congress onIy uILer receIvIng wIuL udmInIsLruLIon oIIIcIuIs descrIbed us suIIIcIenL
ussurunces LIuL House RepubIIcuns wouId uIso upprove un expunsIon oI beneIILs Ior dIspIuced workers.
TIe SenuLe upproved un expunsIon oI LIe beneIILs progrum In SepLember zo11.
ServIce provIders IIke bunks und Iuw IIrms ure expecLed Lo beneIIL. BuL muny munuIucLurers, und LIe
LexLIIe IndusLry In purLIcuIur, Iuve urgued LIuL LIey wIII be dIsproporLIonuLeIy IurL.
Under specIuI ruIes LIuL govern LIe consIderuLIon oI Lrude deuIs, Congress Iud qo duys Lo upprove or
rejecL LIe ugreemenLs, buL couId noL umend LIe Lerms.
Trude ugreemenLs reduce LIe prIce oI AmerIcun goods und servIces In IoreIgn murkeLs - und IoreIgn
goods und servIces Iere - by eIImInuLIng LurIIIs, or Luxes, on LIose producLs. MosL economIsLs suy LIe
overuII beneIILs ure subsLunLIuI, IncreusIng demund und reducIng prIces. BuL LIe ouLcomes Ior IndIvIduuIs
ure mucI more vurIed. Consumers muy beneIIL Irom LIe uvuIIubIIILy oI cIeuper IoreIgn goods even us
more expensIve AmerIcun workers ure IosIng LIeIr jobs.
TIe UnILed SLuLes Ius compreIensIve Iree Lrude ugreemenLs wILI 1; counLrIes, IncIudIng MexIco und
Cunudu.
TIe ugreemenL wILI SouLI Koreu couId Increuse unnuuI suIes oI AmerIcun goods - IncIudIng duIry
producLs, pork, pouILry, cIemIcuIs und pIusLIcs - by up Lo $1o.q bIIIIon, uccordIng Lo u zoo; esLImuLe by u
IederuI ugency, LIe UnILed SLuLes nLernuLIonuI Trude CommIssIon. TIuL esLImuLe dId noL IncIude suIes
servIces IIke bunkIng und IeguI work, wIIcI ure uIso IIkeIy Lo be consIderubIe.
TIe ugreemenL wILI CoIombIu, u mucI smuIIer LrudIng purLner, wouId Increuse unnuuI demund Ior
AmerIcun goods by ubouL $1.1 bIIIIon, LIe commIssIon esLImuLed. L suId LIe ImpucL oI LIe Punumu
ugreemenL wouId be smuIIer; IL dId noL provIde un esLImuLe.
TIe BusI udmInIsLruLIon compIeLed negoLIuLIon oI LIe LIree ugreemenLs In zoo6, buL upprovuI wus
bIocked by CongressIonuI DemocruLs. Mr. Obumu IIILed LIe ugreemenLs Irom LIe dusLbIn In zooq us purL
oI u brouder eIIorL Lo revIve LIe economy. To uddress LIe concerns oI Iubor unIons und oLIer opponenLs,
LIe udmInIsLruLIon renegoLIuLed provIsIons In eucI oI LIe deuIs.
BuL progress bogged down uguIn over LIe IuLe oI u modesL und obscure beneIILs progrum cuIIed Trude
AdjusLmenL AssIsLunce. TIe governmenL Ius Iong provIded beneIILs Lo workers wIo Iose jobs Lo IoreIgn
compeLILIon, IncIudIng LruInIng progrums, money Lo cover LIe cosL oI seurcIIng Ior u job or movIng Lo u
new cILy und Lux credILs Lo reduce LIe cosL oI IeuILI Insurunce.
Congress, under DemocruLIc conLroI, LemporurIIy expunded eIIgIbIIILy Ior LIIs progrum In zooq, buL
RepubIIcuns ended LIe expunded progrum uILer LukIng conLroI oI LIe House.
TIe WIILe House, bowIng Lo LIe demunds oI CongressIonuI DemocruLs, suId IL wouId noL submIL LIe Lrude
ugreemenLs unLII RepubIIcuns resLored IInuncIng. RepubIIcuns, some oI wIom Iud supporLed LIe progrum
In LIe pusL, suId LIey wouId noL ugree Lo Increuse IederuI spendIng.
n June, LIe WIILe House unnounced LIuL IL Iud negoLIuLed u compromIse wILI LIe MonLunu DemocruL
Mux Buucus, cIuIrmun oI LIe SenuLe Inunce CommILLee, und LIe MIcIIgun RepubIIcun Duve Cump,
cIuIrmun oI LIe House Wuys und Meuns CommILLee. TIeIr Lwo commILLees Iud jurIsdIcLIon over LIe
IegIsIuLIon. BuL LIe crILIcuI breukLIrougI cume onIy In SepLember, wIen Mr. Buucus orcIesLruLed SenuLe
pussuge oI LIe deuI, wIIcI purLIuIIy resLores LIe expunded beneIILs.
International News Posted: Wed, Sep 14 2011. 6:46 PM IST
WTO rues India's tweaking of trade poIicy
India cut its average import tariffs to 12% in 2010/2011 from 15.1% four years earlier, part
of its effort to provide a stable and active trade policy to encourage economic growth, the
WTO said in a report
Reuters
Geneva: India has further opened up to imports in the past four years but its habit of tweaking trade
rules for domestic reasons risks undermining its efforts to boost commerce, the World Trade
Organization (WTO) said on Wednesday.
India cut its average import tariffs to 12% in 2010/2011 from 15.1% four years earlier, part of its
effort to provide a stable and active trade policy to encourage economic growth, the WTO said in a
report.
"In certain circumstances, however, India also makes use of trade policy instruments to attain short-
term objectives, such as containing inflation, which may detract somewhat from the stability sought,
the report added.
Those short term changes meant India had to continually fine-tune its policies, racking up costs and
increasing the complexity of its trade rules, the WTO said, in its trade policy review report on India.
"Trade policy seems to be lacking an overall thrust and is being conducted mostly on a sector or
product basis. This has resulted sometimes in actions with an anti-export bias (such as setting
minimum export prices or applying export taxes), in contrast with the asserted general goal of seeking
export expansion, it said.
Among the short-term measures cited was the introduction of export licences for raw cotton in April
2010, which aimed to ensure domestic supply and limit price increases.
India was one of the WTOs most litigious members, the report said, having initiated 209 anti-dumping
investigations in the past four years, mostly against Chinese and other Asian shipments of chemicals,
plastics, base metals and textiles that it considered to be unfairly cheaply priced.
The report said the average time for completing Indian export procedures had fallen to 17 days from
27 days in 2007, while imports now took 20 days to clear customs on average, less than half the 41
days needed in 2007.
Getting through customs now cost an average of $960 per container for imports and $945 for exports,
it said.
World Trude Orgunizution

!aul Yeung/ReutersTIe WorId Trude OrgunIzuLIon oversees LIe druILIng und ImpIemenLuLIon oI ruIes Ior gIobuI
Lrude In goods und servIces. L sLurLed operuLIon In 1qq, buL Is essenLIuIIy u sLronger versIon oI ILs
predecessor, LIe GeneruI AgreemenL on TurIIIs und Trude, or GATT. GATT wus seL up uILer WorId Wur
Lo prevenL u repeuL oI LIe ruInous rounds oI proLecLIonIsm In LIe 1qos LIuL mude LIe GreuL DepressIon
worse. TIe WorId Trude OrgunIzuLIon, IIke LIe secreLurIuL oI LIe GATT beIore IL, Is IeudquurLered In
Genevu.
SuccessIve rounds oI gIobuI Lrude LuIks sInce LIe IoundIng oI GATT In 1qq; Iuve broudened InLernuLIonuI
Iree Lrude ruIes. TIey InILIuIIy empIusIzed Iower LurIIIs In munuIucLurIng, buL LIe Uruguuy Round oI LuIks
broudened LIem Lo seL muny more ruIes IIberuIIzIng Lrude In ugrIcuILuruI producLs, servIces, InvesLmenL
und governmenL procuremenL. TIe Uruguuy Round uIso IImILed counLrIes' ubIIILy Lo Impose unLI-dumpIng
duLIes on ImporLs und mude IL Iurder Ior counLrIes Lo deIy ruIIngs uguInsL LIem by Lrude dIspuLe puneIs
composed oI InLernuLIonuI experLs TIe Uruguuy Round, wIIcI uIso eIIecLIveIy repIuced GATT wILI LIe
W.T.O., concIuded wILI muruLIon LuIks In Genevu In December 1qq.
TIe currenL round oI gIobuI Lrude LuIks sLurLed In DoIu, QuLur, In November zoo1. NegoLIuLIons broke
down In JuIy zoo8, buL eIIorLs ure under wuy Lo resLurL LIem. TIe W.T.O. Ius uIso been LryIng wILI
IImILed success Lo persuude more counLrIes Lo sIgn up Ior ILs ruIes requIrIng Iree Lrude In governmenL
procuremenL. CIInu joIned LIe orgunIzuLIon In zoo1 buL Ius reIused Lo sIgn LIe sepuruLe pucL on
procuremenL, mukIng IL Iurd Ior oLIer counLrIes Lo objecL wIen CIInu's muny sLuLe-conLroIIed compunIes
dIscrImInuLe In LIeIr purcIuses In Iuvor oI CIInese suppIIers.
n AugusL zooq, LIe W.T.O. guve LIe UnILed SLuLes u vIcLory In ILs Lrude buLLIe wILI CIInu, ruIIng LIuL
BeIjIng Iud vIoIuLed InLernuLIonuI ruIes by IImILIng ImporLs oI books, songs und movIes. - Keith rcdsher
(Au. :, zoop)
WTO and Indian agriculturean empirical
analysis
Introduction
Indian economy is predominantly an agrarian economy and its prosperity depends upon the progress
oI agriculture. Agriculture sector is considered as the backbone oI national economy. Among the
agricultural production incentives, subsidies are considered to be the most powerIul instrument Ior
accelerating the growth oI agricultural production. The social justiIication oI the subsidies lies in the
Iact that they should be equally distributed among the regions and groups oI society Ior achieving the
goal oI rapid growth in agricultural development. During the last two decades,agricultural
subsidies in India have increased tremendously. But there has been large inter regional disparity in
the use oI agricultural subsidies.
Provision oI input subsidies in agriculture has been recommended on the ground that it gives
incentives to the Iarmers to use new technology. It also gives incentives to use there subsidies and
increase production. However, the case against subsidies rests on the ground that they put a heavy
burden on the state exchequer and reduce investable surplus and consequently the growth rate oI the
economy. Besides, they might generate inequalities in the distribution oI income and may lead to
distortions and ineIIiciency in the system.
In India, the domestic subsidy regime was introduced because oI high dependence oI population on
agriculture. Moreover, the percentage oI marginal Iarmers was high in India and rural poverty was
also high. Under these circumstances, the Government oI India introduced diIIerent types oI input
subsidies namely Iertilizer, electricity and irrigation. With these subsidies, the Iarmers were able to
use high yielding seeds, which helped to increase the Iarmers income and able to pull out Irom the
poverty. However, the input subsidies not only provided more income to the Iarmers but also
provided Indian consumer a low cost price Iood. Agriculture, which is a source oI livelihood Ior 65
percent oI the population, directly and indirectly engaged in the sector, turned out to be on the
crossroads with the signing oI Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA).
The same issue has been addressed empirically in the present study constituting a sample oI 409
Iarmers in this case. Hypothesis was tested by applying chi-square test to ascertain the association
between size oI land holding and income oI the Iarmers. The results oI the same are depicted in the
Table -3.
Table-3 depicts that the size oI holding directly varies with the income oI the Iarmers. The calculated
value oI chi-square was Iound to be 172.337, which was highly signiIicant at one percent level oI
signiIicance, depicting signiIicant association between level oI income and size oI land holding.
Income and Education Level
Income and education both are linked with each other. As a matter oI Iact, more resources are not
only diverted Ior luxuries but also Ior education attainment as well. As the income resources oI a
person increase, education attainment Ior their wards also increase. It can be veriIied Irom the data oI
Census (2001). The high income states (Punjab, Haryana etc.) have more literacy rate than national
average literacy rate. Table-4 explains the association between education level oI the Iarmers and
their income.
Table-4 clearly explains the relationship between income and education level among the Iarmers. It
was Iound that more the income and higher is the qualiIication level. The calculated value oI chi-
square was Iound to be 72.780, which was signiIicant at one percent level signiIicance depicting
signiIicant association between monthly income and educational attainment among the Iarmers.
WTO/AOA and Suicide oI the Farmers
The present study highlights that 54.8 percent oI the Iarmers believed that there is soil Iatigue
because oI improper mixture oI NPK (see the Table 7). Thus, results oI primary survey in this
context are in consonance with other studies in the literature conducted so Iar.
Marketing oI Crops other than Wheat and Rice
This wheat-rice cropping pattern is prevalent Ior last Iour decades in Indian agriculture because oI
the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and availability oI marketing Iacilities. But the same Iacilities Ior
other crops are not readily available. Food Corporation oI India (FCI) is the main agency Ior
procuring the cereals apart Irom certain state agencies which are also procuring both cereals Irom the
market.
The ChieI Minister's Advisory Committee on Agriculture Policy and Restructuring (Punjab, October
2002) realized that all eIIorts made so Iar to introduce alternatives to these crops have Iailed on the
market Iront. It is, thereIore, essential the market clearance through minimum support price and
procurement system must be assured, iI the production oI alternative crops, especially the oil seeds
and pulse crops, is to be sustained on a medium to long term basis. The marketing oI agricultural
crops are becoming a major issue among Iarmers, which has been raised in the primary study. The
result oI the study is given in Table-8.
Table-8 shows that 76.2 percent oI the Iarmers were oI the opinion that there is no marketing Iacility
Ior other than wheat and rice but 23.7 percent oI the Iarmers believed that market Ior other than
wheat and rice is available. It is need oI the our to provide marketing Iacilities Ior other commodities
like pulses, grams oilseeds etc. II this is ensured, the prices oI these commodities will tend to decline.
This will also result in saving oI huge Ioreign exchange reserves oI the country.
DiversiIication in Cropping Pattern
With the scanty rain Iall, the availability oI surIace water is declining and underground aquiIer is
going down and down. Even the Iarmers are aware oI this grim problem but yet they are not adopting
any water saving technology. This can be seen in the Table-10.
More than 80 percent oI the Iarmers are not adopting any water saving technology and there were
only 6.35 percent oI the Iarmers adopting the same. The reason may be that either electricity charges
are quite low or canal water charges are also negligible, which restraint Iarmers to adopt any water
saving technology. ThereIore, it is mandatory on the part oI Government to make Iarming
community aware oI water saving technology and Irame rules and regulations Ior the same, keeping
in consideration the issue oI subsidies at par with AOA.
Inadequate Supply oI Electricity
Electricity is the main input used in the agricultural sector and this sector depends heavily on
adequate and incessant supply oI electricity. The previous studies (Baijal, 1999, Ahluwalia, 2000)
made it clear that the quality oI electricity is inadequate at the time oI agricultural operation in the
Iield and at peak hours supply is not available and its highly irregular one. The Iarmers are Iorced to
use diesel Ior propelling pump sets, which Iurther enhances the capital-output ration in the
agriculture sector. This ultimately diminishes the returns oI the Iarmers. Under such circumstances,
there is a strong need to analyze this issue Irom the point oI view oI Iarming community. The
responses oI Iarmers Ior the same are given in Table -11.
The Iield survey shows that about 80 percent oI the Iarm community believes that supply oI
electricity is not adequate at the time oI sowing, whereas 12.2 percent believe that it is adequate.
Thus, there is a need to improve the quality and quantity oI electricity supplied to agriculture sector
especially during the sowing season.
-ama tells Hu of American impatience
with China
by Staff Writers
Honolulu, Hawaii (AFP) Nov 13, 2011
US !resident Barack Obama told China's
!resident Hu Jintao on Saturday that Americans
were "frustrated" and "impatient" at the pace of
change in Beijing's economic policy.
Obama delivered the frank warning in talks on the eve of a major Asia-!acific summit, a senior
US official said, after the president earlier warned that China must "play by the rules" of
international trade.
The president's direct language betrayed increasing US concern over the level of China's yuan
currency, which critics say is kept artificially low to boost exports, and Beijing's observance of
intellectual property standards.
The meeting took place amid rising domestic political pressure on Obama over China's trade
record, voiced again by Republican candidates in a campaign debate on Saturday as the 2012
presidential election campaign gathers pace.
But Hu retorted that a big rise in the yuan would not help the United States, adding the US trade
deficit and unemployment were not caused by his country's exchange rate policy, which he
qualified as "responsible."
"Even if the yuan rises substantially, it will not solve problems faced by the United States," he
told Obama, according to comments posted on China's foreign ministry website.
n a public appearance before their talks in a Honolulu hotel, Obama and Hu did not stray far
from diplomatic niceties, but economic tensions came up in private.
Obama "made it very clear that the American people and the American business community
were growing increasingly impatient and frustrated with the state of change in China economic
policy and the evolution of the US-China economic relationship," said Michael Froman, a US
deputy national security advisor.
Obama said before the talks he wanted to discuss "efforts to jointly ensure that countries like
ran are abiding by international rules and norms" and said North Korea's nuclear program and
non-proliferation would also come up.
"We are both !acific powers and think many countries in the region look to a constructive
relationship between the United States and China as the basis for continued growth and
prosperity," Obama said.



Hu, in a nod to fraught economic times that have spooked global markets, said the world was
undergoing "complex and profound changes."
"There is growing instability and uncertainty in the world economic recovery. Under these
circumstances, it is all the more important that the US and China increase their communication
and cooperation."
Earlier at a meeting with CEOs, Obama was more frank over US differences with China,
singling out China's record on intellectual property protection amid complaints from US
corporations that their innovation and products are being unfairly compromised and copied.
"For us not to get that competitive advantage that we need in a large marketplace like China is
not acceptable," Obama said.
"The bottom line is that the United States can't be expected to stand by if there is not the kind of
reciprocity in our trade relations and our economic relationship that we need."
The president noted the long-running dispute between the United States and China over
currency and said most experts believed that the yuan was unfairly undervalued despite some
appreciation this year.
"We want you to play by the rules, and currency is probably a good example," Obama said,
paraphrasing his message to Chinese leaders, ahead of his first meeting with Hu since he
welcomed him on a state visit in January.
Obama, who is hosting the Asia-!acific Economic Cooperation (A!EC) summit here, will move
on later in the week to Australia and an East Asia summit in Bali, as part of America's effort to
cement its role as a major !acific power.
n the run-up to the A!EC summit, China complained Washington was setting its goals too high
on trade liberalization and lowering tariffs on green industries. t also suggested T!! entry
requirements may prove too onerous for some Asian nations.
China got a hammering on Saturday during a Republican campaign debate in South Carolina.
Texas governor Rick !erry said that the "communist Chinese government will end up on the ash
heap of history."
Republican front runner Mitt Romney meanwhile branded Beijing as a "currency manipulator"
which was "stealing our intellectual property, hacking into our computers or artificially lowering
their prices and killing American jobs."
US drags ndia, China to WTO over subsidy
programmes
Friday, October 7, 2011, 10:00 [ST]

Apple Compatible Bluetooth Modules Call for More nformation

Washington, Oct 7: The United States on Thursday dragged China and ndia to the World Trade
Organisation over subsidy programmes implemented by the world's two fastest growing economies,
with a top Obama Administration official terming the situation as intolerable.

"The situation was simply intolerable," US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said. Noting that every
member of the WTO is required to come clean on their subsidy programmes on a regular basis, Kirk
said China has not notified its subsidy programmes in over five years.
"ndia only recently filed its first notification in almost ten years and even then, notified only three of
the many subsidy programmes we know to exist," he said. "Because China and ndia have failed to
meet their respective obligations, we had to act -- as we are entitled to under the WTO rules -- and
provide the voluminous information we have developed regarding subsidy programmes in these two
countries,hesaid.
Kirk announced that the US has submitted information to the WTO identifying nearly 200 subsidy
programmes that China has failed to notify as per WTO rules. nformation was also submitted on 50
subsidy programmes in ndia not previously notified, he said. Through these actions at the WTO, the
United States is seeking the prompt provision of detailed information and data from China and ndia
regarding the operation of these subsidy programmes, the USTR said.
Indiu und Bruzil slum new WTO ohu
proposulsN'A (Reuters) - India and Brazil criticized two new sets of proposals
in the Doha round of trade talks at the World Trade rganisation (WT) on Tuesday,
signaling that wide gaps in the negotiations remain despite recent progress.The two
developing countries, who play a major role in the talks, said that a U.S.-U proposal to free
up trade in environmental goods was little more than a disguised attempt to -oost sales of
goods of rich nations.
They also said a negotiating text on "rules" -- anti-dumping, subsidies and fisheries subsidies -- was
a step backwards that excessively accommodated U.S. concerns.India also expressed alarm that the
key agriculture talks were tilting too much towards the needs of rich countries and were ignoring the
requirements of the sub-continent's millions of subsistence farmers.
India has been committed to the Doha talks, launched six years ago and now aiming for conclusion
next year, said India's WTO ambassador Ujal Singh Bhatia.
"But if, God forbid, a time comes when that price of engagement is unpayable by us, then we will have
to stand up and say that," he told Reuters.
NO BASIS FOR NEGOTIATION
The United States and the European Union launched a proposal in the long-running Doha talks last
Friday to counter climate change by eliminating tariffs on 43 climate-friendly goods and setting up a
wider agreement on environmental goods and services for developed and advanced developing
countries.
"We don't think it's a basis for negotiation on environmental products," said Brazil's top trade
negotiator, Roberto Azevedo. "Brazil is deeply disappointed with the proposal. We find the proposal
modest, we find it biased and we find it protectionist," he told a briefing.
Azevedo noted that the U.S.-EU proposal made no reference to biofuels, of which Brazil is a major
producer, or the technologies to produce them, and said the list was geared to U.S.-EU products.
"Anything that they don't produce is not on the list," he said.
Bhatia said India could support proposals to free up trade in goods whose sole use was countering
climate change, such as solar panels or windmills, but the list could be extended over time to new
models of cars or refrigerators that were more energy-efficient, and that was unacceptable.
"Their list is a disguised effort at getting market access through other means and does not satisfy the
mandate for environment," he said.
Both Brazil and India expressed dismay at the rules proposal that met U.S. concerns by allowing a
controversial method of calculating anti-dumping duties called zeroing. This would allow the abuse of
trade remedies to foster protectionism, they said.
Washington had said it was disappointed at last Friday's proposals, but added they were a basis for
negotiation.
Bhatia said the proposals on banning most fisheries subsidies, welcomed by environmental groups,
would cause India difficulty as it tries to improve the living conditions of its fishermen, among the
poorest people in the country.
The proposals do give some leeway to developing countries to support fishermen, but he said the
conditions, such as setting up approved fisheries management schemes, were too onerous.Senior
Indian Commerce Department official Jayant Dasgupta said a disproportionate effort in the WTO's key
agriculture talks was going into shielding the commercial interests of the relatively small number of
farmers in rich countries.
At the same time poor countries were being squeezed on proposals to protect the livelihoods of
subsistence farmers making up the majority of the population -- 65 percent in India's case.
India needed to shield such people, often living on less than $1 a day, from market fluctuations, and
encourage them to stay on the land to ensure food security for the country.