Bhopal, Aug 25 Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that the government did not allow the import of farm goods from the US, as it considers the interest and welfare of India’s farmers as paramount.
Addressing the convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Science, Education, and Research (IISER) here, Chouhan said that "the new Bharat is full of confidence and does not fear anyone when it comes to safeguarding the interests of its own people".
In an oblique reference to the stalled trade talks with the US, the minister said: "They wanted us to open our doors for their agricultural produce. They farm on vast hectares of land with GM seeds and get subsidies. Our small farmers could not have withstood the competition."
The minister asserted that the government would not sign any agreement that would be against the interests of India’s farmers and fishermen.
He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to 144 crore people of the country to buy indigenous goods for their daily use, which would generate employment opportunities and strengthen the economy. The minister lamented that there was a mentality among some people to praise imported goods.
Highlighting the success of Operation Sindoor, Chouhan said that all the terrorists who carried out the Pahalgam attack have now been eliminated.
Dismissing claims that US President Donald Trump had intervened to broker a ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan, the minister said: "When we destroyed Pakistan’s air bases with precision strikes, they feared that their nuclear bases could also be hit. So, they came with folded hands asking for peace."
"Today’s Bharat does not attack anyone, but at the same time does not spare terrorists or those who attack the country," he added.
Chouhan also urged the graduating researchers to work in the interests of the country’s farmers to invent a device to check the quality of pesticides and fertilisers. This would help in assuring that they get good quality pesticides and fertilisers to increase their crop yields, he added.
The Union Minister pointed out that after becoming the Agriculture Minister, he came to learn that nearly 30,000 products were being sold in India, on the claim of being bio-stimulants that boosted farm produce. But when he ordered the testing of these products, only 642 products were found to be effective.
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