Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the central government has ensured “complete security” for India’s agriculture sector, asserting that no provision in the current India-US interim trade deal will harm domestic farmers or compromise the purity of Indian agriculture.
Chouhan said no product has been included in any agreement that could adversely impact Indian farmers, and all sensitive agricultural items have been kept completely outside its scope. “Farmers’ interests are paramount and protected. Not a single decision has been taken that puts them at risk,” he said.
A key safeguard, the minister underlined, is India’s firm stand against genetically modified imports. “No genetically modified product of any kind will be allowed to enter India. This is a major decision to protect the purity of Indian agriculture, our soil and our seeds,” Chouhan said.
He also clarified that the United States has not been given tariff concessions on a wide range of agricultural commodities. Products that will not be allowed in include meat, poultry, dairy, soybean, maize, rice, wheat, sugar, coarse grains, bananas, strawberries, cherries, citrus fruits, green peas, kabuli chana, moong, oilseeds, ethanol and tobacco.
“In addition, hulled grains and flour, potatoes, onions, peas, beans, cucumbers, mushrooms, frozen vegetables, oranges, grapes, lemons and mixed canned vegetables will not be imported into India,” the minister said.
On dairy, the senior BJP leader said liquid, powdered and condensed milk, cream, yoghurt, buttermilk, butter, ghee, butter oil, paneer, whey products and cheese will also not be permitted entry. “This will safeguard the livelihood of our farmer families,” he added.
Chouhan also said that imports of several spices have also been excluded, including black pepper, cloves, dry green chillies, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, asafoetida, ginger, turmeric, ajwain, fenugreek, mustard, rai and other powdered spices.
Reiterating the government’s position, he said India’s agricultural policy remains focused on protecting domestic producers while ensuring the long-term health of the country’s soil, seeds and food systems.
India and the United States have agreed on a framework for an interim trade pact, committing to cut import duties on select goods to push up bilateral trade. Under the arrangement, the US will slash tariffs on Indian exports from 50 per cent to 18 per cent, while India will remove or lower import duties on all American industrial goods and a broad basket of US food and agricultural products.
– Ends
Published By:
Sahil Sinha
Published On:
Feb 8, 2026
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