States » SouthPosted at: Jul 2 2025 11:51AM


Indo-US free trade agreement will devastate Kerala's dairy sector: J Chinchurani

Thiruvananthapuram, July 2 (UNI) The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United States will devastate dairy farmers and cooperatives in Kerala, said State Minister for Animal Husbandry J. Chinchurani.
“The agreement would directly impact Kerala’s marginal dairy farmers and cooperatives. The dairy sector is a crucial source of livelihood for thousands of farmers in the state,” the minister said.
She pointed out that the draft FTA contains several provisions that could severely harm small-scale dairy farmers in India, the world’s largest milk producer.
In a memorandum submitted to the Union Ministry of Commerce, she urged the central government to take necessary steps to prevent serious adverse impacts on farmers.
The memorandum highlights that the proposed duty concessions on dairy products – produced at significantly lower costs in Western countries due to advanced technologies in industrial dairy farming – could lead to the collapse of the domestic dairy sector when these products flood the Indian market.
It also notes that American dairy products often involve the use of synthetic growth hormones, which are widely opposed in Kerala’s food culture.
Introducing foreign competition into an already strained sector, which is struggling with rising production costs and climate-related challenges, would be catastrophic for local farmers, she said.
The minister further stated that unless the dairy sector is excluded from the FTA – or unless strict biosecurity standards and consumer protection measures are enforced – any relaxation of import duties cannot be justified.
The memorandum expresses hope that the central government will consider the unique circumstances and needs of individual states like Kerala while negotiating such agreements.
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