Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the India-US trade agreement will not force the country to open up its market to any “major crops”, be it foodgrain, fruits or dairy products. Agriculture posed few problems when it came to finalising a free trade agreement with the European Union, which isn’t very cost competitive in most commodities. This may not be so with the US, which is a huge producer of large-acreage crops such as soyabean, corn and cotton. India, too, grows all three — soyabean on 13 million hectares (mh), and corn and cotton on 12 mh each. It is not for nothing that agriculture has been a key stumbling block in the trade negotiations.

Source: Indian Express February 07, 2026 12:12 UTC