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Nitish allays fears over WTO, outlines plans for farm sector

Union Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday sought to allay fears over the new WTO regime and said a series of legislations were in the offing to gear up the farming community to face the emerging challenges.

Addressing the 51st General Council meeting of the National Co-operative Development Corporation, he said.

"We should gear up for the challenges posed by the World Trade Organisation by treating them as opportunities."

Ruling out the possibility of a surge in agri-imports, he said that the existing duty structure would be able to check cheap imports effectively. Citing examples he said import duties were 118 per cent and 60 per cent on chicken and milk products, respectively.

Kumar said "the only apprehensions we have are on the edible oil front, but we have twice revised the import duty on it to tackle the situation."

Mandated negotiations under the WTO regime were going on and India's case will be presented before the world body after Cabinet approval by the year end, he said.

The goal is to get a level playing field by asking the developed nations to reduce their export subsidies, he said. The Multi-State Co-operative Societies Bill to minimise government role, he said, had already been introduced in Parliament.

The government was also working on a bill to amend the NCDC Act in order to make it an equity-based organisation and broadbase its activities, he added.

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