“a central fact about the world’s fifth-largest economy: India’s large population of poor farmers hinders its capacity to reach mutually beneficial trade deals.
Agriculture, including dairy, is a major sticking point in U.S.-India trade negotiations.” 1/7
Agriculture, including dairy, is a major sticking point in U.S.-India trade negotiations.” 1/7
https://twitter.com/dhume/status/1960831671558922368
“India has an average tariff of 39% on imported farm goods—among the highest in the world. It protects its large but inefficient dairy industry with both high tariffs and nontariff barriers.” 2/7
“Many countries have influential farm lobbies, but in no other major economy do farmers have as much political clout as they do in India. The World Bank estimates that in 2023, 44% of India’s workforce—or about 267 million people—made a living from agriculture.” 3/7
“Over the past five decades, India has gone from being a country that struggled to feed its people to an agricultural superpower. It’s the world’s largest producer and exporter of rice. It’s the world’s largest producer of milk and pulses such as chickpeas and beans.” 4/7
“For many Indians, agricultural self-sufficiency is a point of pride, Indian agricultural economist Ashok Gulati says in a phone interview. Indians recall being dependent on American food aid as recently as the 1960s.” 5/7
“The average farm in the U.S. is 175 times as large as the average Indian farm of 2.7 acres. The average herd size on an American dairy farm is about 380 cows. The average herd size in India is about four animals, either cows or water buffaloes.” 6/7
“the U.S. ought to consider the complexities of India’s economic environment. A bilateral trade agreement would be good for both countries. But it’s unrealistic to expect Mr. Modi to commit political suicide for a deal with Mr. Trump.” 7/7
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