Europe putting up non-tariff barriers: Pawar

PUNE: NCP president Sharad Pawar has accused European countries of devising new non-tariff barriers to prevent Indian agriculture and dairy exporters from entering the European market.
"On the one hand our export consignments are being rejected on grounds that they do not fulfill health parameters and on the other hand European nations are granting huge subsidies to their agro and dairy industries so that they can capture the Indian market," Pawar said here on Saturday.
Pawar, who heads the 15-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set up to probe into the recent controversy surrounding pesticide content in 12 soft drink brands, was in Pune to attend the annual convention of the state grape growers association.
"I have been appointed to head the JPC. Hence, I do not wish to go into details of the new health parameters that are being devised by European countries to deprive Indian exporters a market in Europe," Pawar said.
Without naming any nation, Pawar said that a European country had recently introduced a new health parameter that it would not allow sale of dairy products from India unless the Indian exporters gave a certificate saying that the milk used was extracted by machines and not by hands.
"Ninety per cent of the milk in India is extracted by hand. They are asking for too much. On the one hand they are imposing such restrictions on us and on the other they are giving 200 per cent subsidy to their companies," Pawar said, claiming trade agreements and treaties categorically stated that no such subsidy should be given.
"The day is not far when foreign companies will start selling milk at Rs 5 per litre in India. Our dairy industry will be ruined. Same is the case with several other agro products," Pawar said, stressing the need for developing nations like India, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan to jointly voice their protest against such non-tariff barriers.
"Even if these four countries come together on this issue it will be more than enough. European and American companies cannot afford to lose the market in these four nations," he observed.