New Delhi: At the WTO meet in Hong Kong, developing countries like India and Brazil are demanding a level playing field with the developed countries.
The new face of Indian farming is all about organic farming and exporting them to the West.
"Farming can be rewarding if done intelligently," Col. Fateh Singh said who grows amla and flowers in his Pushkar farm.
Agriculturists say that Indian organic farm produce is not able to reach international markets because of the attitude of the developed countries.
The developed countries don't want farmers from India or any other developing country to flood the Western markets with cheap farm produce.
Farm products from developing countries face high entry taxes in the US and EU. On top of that developed countries sell their own produce at prices much lower than their cost.
So a kilogram of rice that costs $40 to grow, sells for as little as $10 with the government paying the difference.
"US is the largest exporter of rice, even when they are the costliest producer. Where is the free trade?" Samar Varma, Senior Policy Advisor, Oxfam GB, said.
But Colonel Fateh Singh is not the typical Indian farmer and the Indian Government is more concerned with farmers in the rural sector.
India argues that the $360 billion ? or a billion dollars a day ? that the US and the EU spend to support their farmers goes against the logic of free and fair trade.
"Let the West do what it preaches," Prof Babu Matthew, Action Aid, said.
The Indian Government's argument is that farming is for livelihood and not commerce. So it says that by not cutting farm subsidy, the West is hurting the livelihood of the common man.
"We want them (West) to remove artificiality of pricing," Kamal Nath, Commerce Minister said.
Nath has categorically said that the Government will not accept any deal that compromises the livelihood and food security concerns of farmers and does not give market access for export of its farm goods.
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