4 min readNagpurUpdated: Feb 8, 2026 01:59 AM IST
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Saturday said that the state’s farmers interest will be protected and they will not face any negative impact by the Indo-US trade deal.
On the sidelines of Advantage Vidarbha 2026, Fadnavis, when asked whether soybean and cotton farmers could face problems or lose market share due to the Indo-US trade deal, told The Indian Express: “That is not going to happen. Farmers are well protected. The government is buying a large share of soybean produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the market price has also stabilised.” Advantage Vidarbha is a three-day business conclave aimed at attracting investment to the mineral-rich, drought-hit region.
The India-US joint statement released on Friday morning says that India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a “wide range” of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.
“India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and a wide range of U.S. food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products. Recognising the importance of working together to resolve long-standing concerns, India also agrees to address long-standing non-tariff barriers to the trade in U.S. food and agricultural products,” the statement said.
The US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also earlier had claimed that the India-US trade deal will result in “export [of] more American farm products into India’s massive market”.
Soyabean and Cotton are the main cash crops in Vidarbha and Marathwada region for the majority of farmers. Farmer organisations in Maharashtra have raised concern that if the government will allow unrestricted import of the agriculture produce under Indo-US trade deal, it will be distressing for the Indian farmers as they will not be able to withstand the competition from the advanced agriculture sector in the US.
In a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president Raju Shetti wrote, “We have been informed that India and US have signed a 500-billon dollar trade deal which allows import of agricultural products at zero interest. If taken forward, the deal will be a betrayal of Indian farmers as the country will be flooded with imports such as soybean, corn, milk products and others from the US.”
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Shetti earlier told the Indian Express that US farmers produce crops like Soyabean and Cotton at much larger scale, their markets are stabilised and Indian farmers will find it extremely difficult to compete with them in the absence of any level-playing field.
Currently most of the US’ Agriculture export to India is Tree Nuts- like almonds and pistachios, followed by Cotton and Soyabean Oil. Whereas India’s Agriculture export to the US is seafood, spices, rice, vegetable oils, processed fruits & vegetables.
The US runs a trade deficit with India in agricultural products, meaning it imports more than it exports. Agricultural and dairy products have been a key point of contention, with the US pushing for greater market access in India. However, the deficit was already narrowing even without a trade deal, declining from $3.5 billion to $3.1 billion in 2025.
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