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US trade deal - Oil traders welcome India's stance on GM crops
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Wednesday, 18 February, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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The All India Edible Oil Traders Federation has welcomed the stance adopted by the Central Government within the framework of the India-US Interim Trade Agreement, regarding GM crops.
Shankar Thakkar, president of the All India Edible Oil Traders Federation, said, “We have been opposing the entry of genetically modified (GM) crops into India for the past several years. The government's decision to specifically exclude soybeans, soybean meal, and other genetically modified (GM) food and animal feed products from trade concessions is highly commendable for an agricultural country like India.”
He said that this decision protects the domestic soybean value chain and secures the livelihoods of over 5 million soybean farmers in the country.
The federation has repeatedly submitted representations to the Ministry over the past years, raising concerns about the serious adverse effects of uncontrolled imports of GM soybean products.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had earlier clarified that the import of whole soybeans from the US has not been permitted. India is already a major importer of soybean oil. Under this deal, a fixed quota has been granted only for soybean oil, but the entire soybean market wasn't opened.
Meanwhile, according to Tarun Jain, general secretary of the federation, such imports could leave the Indian market vulnerable to highly subsidised global competition, leading to price instability, declining farmer incomes, and long-term damage to the oilseed economy.
"Maintaining India's strict non-GMO regulatory framework is crucial for consumer interests and food security," said Jain.
However, the federation emphasised the need for effective monitoring and stringent regulatory provisions when soybean oil and other products are included in the trade framework. The federation expressed confidence that the government will take necessary safeguards to ensure that imports do not adversely impact domestic oilseed prices and farmers' interests.
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