Chandigarh, February 6
Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, today issued a strong warning that the proposed Indo-US trade deal could severely damage the livelihoods of India’s farmers, particularly in Punjab, by exposing them to unfair competition from heavily subsidised American agriculture. He called upon farmers across the country to unite once again to safeguard their economic future and demand protection from policies that undermine their survival.
Bajwa pointed out that American farmers receive some of the highest levels of government support in the world. Large commercial farms in the United States receive direct yearly payments of nearly ₹60 lakh, while even intermediate and part-time farmers get ₹7–11 lakh annually. Beyond these direct payments, the US government spends between ₹2.7 lakh crore and ₹4.5 lakh crore every year on farm support through crop insurance subsidies, price guarantees, export incentives, disaster bailouts and ultra-cheap credit systems.
“In America, farmers do not fear crop failure or price crashes because the government protects their income. Yet Indian farmers are being asked to compete in a so-called ‘free market’ without similar safeguards. This is not free trade; this is a structured disadvantage for Indian agriculture,” Bajwa said.
Bajwa warned that opening Indian markets to cheap, highly subsidised US agricultural products could lead to a collapse in farm prices, hurting Punjab’s wheat, maize, cotton and dairy farmers. “When a farmer in the US gets massive income support and export incentives, and an Indian farmer struggles even for a legal MSP guarantee, how can there be a level playing field?” he asked.
Bajwa also criticised the Union Government for failing to legally guarantee MSP while moving towards trade arrangements that may weaken existing procurement and price support systems. “The same government that labels support for Indian farmers as ‘freebies’ is ready to sign deals with a country that spends lakhs of crores protecting its own farmers,” he added.
Calling for unity, Bajwa urged farmers’ unions, agricultural workers and rural stakeholders across India to stand together. “This is not just about Punjab; it is about the survival of India’s agrarian economy. Farmers must once again unite peacefully and democratically to ensure that no trade deal snatches away their livelihoods or dignity,” he said.
