US Trade Deal Will Destroy Farmers by Flooding India With American Farm Produce: SKM

New Delhi: Expressing outrage over US President Donald Trump’s announcement on social media on a US-India trade deal on the Narendra Modi government allowing 0% import tariff on US goods, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a farmers’ collective accused the Centre of “surrendering to the pressure of US Imperialism.”

In a press statement, SKM said this move will destroy the already struggling farm sector, ruin rural livelihoods by flooding the Indian markets with American farm produce.

The SKM also announced village-level campaigns against the trade deal from February 4-11, where the effigies of Modi and Trump would be burnt.

“While US president Donald Trump is protecting the rural economy of America, it is shameful that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is succumbing to break the backbone of the rural economy of India,” the SKM statement read.

Read the full statement below:

*SKM denounces Modi Govt.’s total surrender before Imperialism - US trade deal will destroy Indian farmers by flooding the market with US agricultural produce*

 *Crops to be immediately hit are soybean, maize, cotton, and dairy; livelihood of crores of farmers will be jeopardised* 

*Calls for campaign in villages from 4th to 11th February, burn effigies of Modi and Trump in mass meetings* 

*Support General Strike on 12 February with mass protest actions* 

SKM strongly condemned the betrayal of the people, especially farmers by the Modi Government allowing zero per cent import tariff of US goods surrendering to the pressure of US Imperialism. 

SKM recalls the declaration of the Prime Minister Modi on 15th August 2025 at the rampart of Red Fort that “he is personally ready to pay heavy price to protect the interests of the farmers” and now shamelessly bowing down to the dictates of the US President Donald Trump for zero import tax to allow free flow of US agricultural produces into Indian market. Farmers will never forgive Modi for this “historic betrayal”. 

This trade deal to allow Indian markets to be flooded by highly subsidized US agricultural products will devastate crores of small and middle farmers’ households in India. The US has only 18.8 lakh farmers as per the recent survey in 2024 compared to 14.65 crore operational holdings in India as per the agricultural census of 2015. 48 % of the work force and 65% of the population in India depends on agriculture and allied sectors.

According to US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, under the deal, the US will “export more American farm products to India’s massive market, lifting prices, and pumping cash into rural America”, helping reduce the US’s 1.3 billion dollar agricultural trade deficit with India.  While US president Donald Trump is protecting the rural economy of America, it is shameful that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is succumbing to break the backbone of the rural economy of India.

SKM call for campaign against Modi Govt. in villages from 4th to 11th February, burn effigies of both Narendra Modi and Donald Trump and make the General Strike called on 12th February successful with massive protest actions at Tehsil and urban centres across India.