India-US trade deal to affect Bihar farmers also: Congress

Patna: Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Dipendra Singh Huda on Thursday warned Bihar farmers about the potential impact of the country’s upcoming trade deal with the United States, saying it could adversely affect the cultivation of maize and other crops, as well as fruit farming in the state. He expressed concerns that the export of genetically modified (GM) crops from the US could significantly depress the prices of domestically grown crops and harm indigenous varieties.Speaking to reporters at the party’s state headquarters, Huda discussed the proposed US trade deal with India.Huda pointed to data showing that exports of cotton from the US to India began in 2024-25, with shipments worth around Rs3,428 crore, and claimed that this led to a decline in domestic cotton prices by about Rs1,000 per quintal below the minimum support price (MSP). In the same vein, he said the export of bananas and peanuts from the US, among other fruits, could negatively affect Indian farmers, including those in Bihar, where banana and peanut cultivation is significant in some districts. Traditionally, India has banned the import of GM crops, but he claimed the US trade deal would allow the export of GM products such as processed maize, soybean and other crops. He said the eastern districts of Bihar are known for maize cultivation, and that the state is also promoting the cultivation of jowar, both of which he said could be adversely affected.Huda further stated that the trade deal would require India to purchase crude oil from Venezuela at higher prices and to abandon its existing policy of procuring oil from other sources such as Russia and Iran at lower costs. He argued that procuring crude oil at higher prices and lifting non-trade barriers — such as the diesel subsidy provided to farmers by the Bihar govt — would further burden farmers. “The overall impact would be highly destructive,” Huda claimed.