Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in an interview to Outlook calls for imposition of duties on imported dairy, poultry and agricultural products to save the local farmer from exploitation:
Punjab's dairy industry is facing its worst-ever crisis. What are you doing about it?
We are alarmed because it's been our government's dream that land farming be supplemented by both dairy and poultry farming. I hold the previous Congress government responsible for the plight of my farmers. It signed the wto. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, however, has been receptive to our demands.
What demands are you placing before the nda government?
We have demanded imposition of 60 per cent import duty on dairy and milk products. If you look at the economy of other Asian nations who have a sound and stable poultry and dairy industry, you will know the difference. Bangladesh has imposed 200 per cent duty, Pakistan 100 per cent and Sri Lanka 50 per cent. Here in India we all have been criticising subsidies to the farm sector and we haven't imposed any import duty. See how the EU or the US supports and protects its agriculture, dairy and poultry sectors.
How has the Union government responded to your suggestions?
We are expecting a formal announcement of 60 per cent anti-dumping duty on butter oil and milk powder any day now. Some announcement has already been made on poultry. We hope that once anti-dumping duty is imposed, our farmers will be comfortable and will be in a position to compete with foreign products.
How has the Union commerce ministry reacted to your proposals?
I have written a letter to Murasoli Maran explaining to him the situation we are in. The commerce ministry has responded positively and we hope to sort this problem out very soon. I have already discussed these problems threadbare with the prime minister and other cabinet ministers. All of them have promised to do their best to save the local farmers and prevent their exploitation.