WTO: India argues to finalise permanent solution to public stockholding

India on Tuesday made a strong pitch to finalise the permanent solution to public stockholding (PSH) for food security and deliver this outcome at MC13, as the issue has been pending for 11 years.

At the 13th ministerial conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Abu Dhabi, 164 member nations are participating in negotiations on agriculture.

India argued that the focus should not be narrowed down to the trade interests of exporting countries only; the real concern is the food security and livelihood of people. The issue is critical since more than 80 countries representing more than 61 per cent of the world’s population from the G33 group of countries, Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP), and the African Groups have co-sponsored a proposal on this subject.

India also pointed out the vast differences in the actual domestic support given to per-farmers provided by different countries. Some developed countries provide subsidies 200 times more than that provided by the developing countries.

“First and foremost, the permanent solution to the PSH has to be delivered. After that, it is important to protect the treaty-embedded Special and Differential Treatment provision in the Agreement on Agriculture. India stated that any derogation in this regard would be unacceptable,” India said.