Rights groups slam WTO’s agricultural subsidy policy

UNB

09 April, 2016, 20:45

Update: 09 April, 2016, 20:45

Several NGOs organised a protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday protesting WTO’s policy to cut agricultural subsidies. Photo: FNS

Dhaka: Farmers’ union leaders on Saturday slammed the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) policy to cut agricultural subsidies.

The Agriculture Ministry has been providing various extension supports to the agriculture sector but the 10^th Ministerial Conference of WTO has decided to bring an end to agriculture subsidies, they observed while addressing a human chain in front of National Press Club in Dhaka.

The human chain was organised by 10 farmer’s organisations.

The decision was taken at WTO that developing countries will remove subsidies within 2023, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), while the net food-importing countries will do that within 2030.

The organisations that organized the human chain are Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation, Labour Resource Center, Kendrio Krishok Moitri, Bangladesh Kishani Shova, Bangladesh Krishak Federation (JI), Bangladesh Adibasi Somity, Bangladesh Fish Workers’ Alliance, Haor Farmers and Fishers Alliance, National Women Farmers and Workers Association and COAST.