Lowering tariff will harm farmers: Samyukt Kisan Morcha

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The National Coordination Committee (NCC) of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which met in New Delhi recently, has decided to strongly respond to efforts to open the Indian market to products from the United States. “This can open flood gates of imports which can unravel Indian agriculture, thus harming the interests of the farmers, small producers and the entire working people,” the SKM said in a statement in Delhi on Monday (March 31, 2025).

The meeting was held in the background of negotiations by the U.S. delegation headed by Brendan Lynch last week. The SKM alleged that the Centre’s response was meek on the threat of reciprocal tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump on exports from India in order to force reduction of tariffs on the import of goods, including agricultural and dairy products, from the U.S. “Even in Europe, strong anti-American sentiment raises among the people. SKM will strongly respond to the efforts to open the Indian market to U.S. products,” the SKM said.

The SKM has also decided to support the all India general strike of workers on May 20 against the move to implement the four Labour Codes. The NCC had “viewed with serious concern the continuous refusal” of the Central government to address pending issues, including minimum support price and debt waiver, and “the new attack by promoting National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing”, the SKM’s statement said. The repression of the farmers’ movement in Punjab was a coordinated attack with a view to repress it and deny justified demands, the SKM added.