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India signed as many as nine FTAs in the last few years with a cross section of countries and groups. A key focus of all these FTAs has been promotion and easier access to Indian farm goods including processed food.
Delivering his 80th Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said global markets were now open to Indian farmers because of the country’s FTAs, giving them access to a much larger market.
“We have to reach there — we have to go from the field to the export market. Whether it is our traditional food, our millets, our spices, or our fruits and flowers — is there anything we don’t have? These should become global brands,” the Prime Minister said.
He also called upon farmers, as part of his seven commitments, to push for chemical-free farming.
Modi said demand for such products was growing globally and would increase further in the coming years.
“If our agro products meet global parameters in every way, we will be able to reach the world easily,” Modi said.
He also said that when the world faced a severe crisis in urea supplies, the government kept prices low to support farmers and keep farming affordable.
“The price of urea has reached ₹3,000 per bag in the world market. Even today, we are not forcing the farmers of my country to bear that burden — the government is carrying that burden on its shoulders, and the urea bag that costs ₹3,000 in the world, we give to our farmers for only ₹300,” Modi said.
He said the price of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) had reached ₹5,000 in the global market, but the government was still working to provide it to farmers for ₹1,350.
India’s fertiliser subsidy, according to unofficial estimates, is projected to rise to over ₹2.4 trillion, against the FY27 Budget Estimate of around ₹1.7 trillion, due to a spike in global prices following the West Asia war.
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