Farm Warning: 24 Million Farmers Face Price Collapse if GM Imports Allowed
India is at a crossroads in trade talks as experts warn that permitting genetically modified (GM) soybean and maize imports from the United States could devastate domestic farm incomes and threaten the livelihoods of nearly 24 million farmers.
GM Crops Impact
The US is urging India to open its market to GM soybean and maize—crops that dominate as 94% and 92% GM variants in American farming. India, currently negotiating a limited trade deal to avoid impending US tariffs, has stood firm against this demand, citing the need to preserve farmer interests.
Farmer Risk
Analysts warn that cheap GM imports from the US, where yields exceed India’s by over fourfold, would flood the domestic market. This could depress prices drastically, putting severe financial pressure on approximately 11 million soybean and 13 million maize growers—many of them smallholders already earning below government support prices.
Market Implications
Soybean farmers, who last season received around ₹4,000 per quintal—though the minimum support price is ₹4,892—could see incomes eroded further. This situation is particularly dire for rainfed regions, where agricultural communities are already vulnerable to economic shocks.
Seed Dependency
GM seeds often come with restrictive patent rules, preventing farmers from saving and reusing seeds. Critics argue this could lock Indian farmers into purchasing new seeds annually from corporate suppliers, undermining their self-reliance and inflating input costs.
Regulatory Concerns
Even with proposed Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) regulations, weak enforcement and fragmented supply chains could lead to GM traits mixing into non-GM crops. Such cross-contamination may risk export access to GM-sensitive markets and pose food-safety challenges.
Policy Alternatives
Experts propose a compromise: continue banning direct GM imports while allowing limited usage of GM maize derivatives like distiller’s dried grains for non-food applications such as ethanol. This would help appease US tariff pressures without destabilizing domestic agriculture.
