India's Farmers Rise Up, Fearing U.S. Trade Deal Will Crash Crop Prices

India's Farmers Rise Up, Fearing U.S. Trade Deal Will Crash Crop Prices Thousands of Indian farmers have taken to the streets and blocked major highways, launching a wave of protests against a new trade agreement with the United States that they fear will flood the market with cheap imports and destroy their livelihoods [75183]. The protests, which have seen tractors and trucks used to barricade roads around the capital, New Delhi, center on concerns that the deal will force India to lower import taxes on American agricultural goods [75183]. Farmers argue this would allow subsidized U.S. produce to enter the country at lower prices, undercutting local growers and collapsing the income they rely on [73750]. A core demand of the protest movement is a legal guarantee from the government to continue its system of minimum support prices for key staple crops like wheat and rice [73750]. This system sees the government purchase these crops at set prices, providing a safety net for farmers' incomes. Protest leaders say they do not trust government assurances that the trade pact includes safeguards for the agriculture sector, demanding the deal be scrapped entirely [75183]. The agreement, struck during a visit by former U.S. President Donald Trump, represents a significant diplomatic achievement for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in strengthening ties with a major partner [73750]. However, it has ignited immediate domestic tension with the nation's massive farming community, a crucial voting bloc with deep political influence [73750]. Officials have stated that the minimum price system remains protected and negotiations with farmer unions are ongoing [73750]. Police have heightened security at key entry points to Delhi as the standoff continues, with no immediate resolution in sight [73750]. Indian Farmers Strike, Fearing U.S. Trade Deal Will Flood Market India's Farmers Protest as Modi-Trump Trade Pact Threatens Key Crop Prices