India's Farmers Block Highways, Fearing U.S. Trade Deal Will Crash Crop Prices

**India's Farmers Block Highways, Fearing U.S. Trade Deal Will Crash Crop Prices** Thousands of Indian farmers have taken to the streets and blocked major highways, launching a new wave of protests against a recently announced trade agreement with the United States. The farmers fear the deal will flood the market with cheaper American agricultural goods, threatening their livelihoods and a longstanding government price support system [75183]. Protesters, using tractors and trucks, have barricaded roads leading into the capital, New Delhi, demanding the government reject the pact [75183][73750]. Their central concern is the potential impact on India's Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, under which the government buys key staples like wheat and rice at guaranteed prices [73750]. Farmers argue the trade terms could force India to reduce these supports or allow a surge of imports, leading to a catastrophic drop in their incomes [73750]. The trade deal, struck during a visit by former U.S. President Donald Trump, is seen as a diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi [73750]. However, it has ignited immediate backlash from the politically powerful farming community, a crucial voting bloc [73750]. The nationwide strike also saw farmers and trade unions blocking railways, highlighting deep-seated tensions over the direction of India's economic policy [75183]. While the Indian government insists the agreement includes safeguards for the agriculture sector and that the MSP system remains protected, protest leaders express deep distrust [75183][73750]. They argue the deal ultimately favors U.S. corporate interests over Indian farmers [75183]. Negotiations between farmer unions and government officials are currently ongoing, with security heightened around the capital as the standoff continues [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