India for addressing asymmetries in cotton sector between developing, developed nations at WTO

New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) India has stated that cotton is a sensitive domestic issue and pitched for addressing the long-standing asymmetries in the sector between developing and developed members of the World Trade Organisation, according to a WTO note.

According to the report of the chairperson of the WTO's committee on agriculture, India has reaffirmed the need to deliver on long-standing mandates, including finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding of foodgrains, special safeguard mechanism and cotton, particularly in view of the forthcoming Ministerial Conference (MC) being hosted by Cameroon.

MC is the highest decision-making body of the WTO. Its 14th meeting is scheduled for March 26-29 next year in Cameroon.

"India emphasised that cotton was an important and sensitive matter domestically with a situation similar to that of some of the other cotton-producing countries in terms of farmers' vulnerabilities since cotton is grown in arid areas by small and marginal farmers," it said.

The country has underscored the importance of addressing the long-standing asymmetries in the cotton sector between developing and developed members with regard to their respective entitlements to the aggregate measurement of support beyond the de minimis level. PTI RR BAL BAL