The Hindu Business Line : Pawar's assurance to Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union Finance Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, has extended an assurance to Kerala that the Centre will try to build suitable safeguards to protect farmers from the adverse effects of a SAARC agreement that facilitates free unlimited imports of agricultural products.

This was announced here by the Chief Minister, Mr A. K. Antony, while briefing a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Plantation Labour Committee on his recent visit to New Delhi. The country, he said, was now faced with a situation in which there was nothing that prevented substandard agricultural products from countries such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam from being dumped here. Any attempt on the part of the Centre to review the relevant portions of the agreement would go to benefit the State, he added.

As for lifting of port restrictions on rubber imports, Mr Pawar had clarified that such a step was resorted after the comparatively higher domestic prices of the commodity had started severely affecting the consumer industry here. This decision was open for review once the domestic prices registered a fall, Mr Pawar told the Chief Minister.

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