Will pay personal price to protect our farmers: PM Modi's strong message over Trump tariffs

TRADE TENSIONS RISE

- VINAY KUMAR

NEW DELHI: In his first public remarks the day after US President Donald Trump doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent in what is being dubbed as tariff war against India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed that India will never compromise with the interests of its farmers and fishermen.

The Prime Minister said that he knows personally he will "have to pay a very heavy price", but he was ready to do it for farmers.

PM Modi's strong message comes ahead of more negotiations for a trade deal that has run into Indian red lines in sensitive areas such as agriculture and dairy.

Addressing the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference in the Capital, he said, "The interest of farmers is our top priority. India will never compromise with the interests of its farmers, livestock holders, and fishermen. And I know that I will have to pay a huge price for this personally, but I am ready. India is ready, for the sake of the country's farmers, fishermen and livestock holders," the Prime Minister said, soon after Trump's tariffs kicked in.

Paying his respects to MS Swaminathan, the architect of the Green Revolution, the Prime Minister said, "Building on the legacy of food security, the next frontier for our agricultural scientists is ensuring nutritional security for all."

India exports a wide variety of agricultural products to the US and is one of the sectors set to bear the brunt of Trump's tariffs. The trade deal has been stuck over the US demand for greater access to India's agricultural and dairy market.