Governments use the public stockholding programme to procure, retailer and distribute meals grains to the poor. Representational
| Photo Credit: SRINATH M
The G-33 group of nations on February 25expressed critical concern over the shortage of progress in agriculture commerce negotiations and urged the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to work on a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding of grains for meals safety functions.
The G-33 group contains 47 growing and least developed international locations.
In a joint assertion, the group additionally stated that it’s the proper of the growing nation to use the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) as an essential instrument in opposition to main import surges or sudden worth declines. The members ought to agree and undertake a determination on SSM by the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC), it stated.
Public inventory holding of meals is a crucial issue
The assertion has sought members to find a permanent solution for points associated to public stockholding within the 13th Ministerial Conference, which can start on February 26 in Abu Dhabi. The MC is the very best decision-making physique of the WTO.
“The G-33 co-sponsoring Members… urge all (WTO) Members to make all concerted efforts to agree and adopt a permanent solution on the issue (public stockholding),” the G-33 Ministerial Statement on Agriculture Trade Negotiations on the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference stated.
A overwhelming majority of G-33 members recognise the crucial significance of public inventory holding for meals safety functions for growing international locations in assembly their meals and livelihood safety, in addition to rural improvement crucial, together with supporting low-income or resource-poor producers.
The public stockholding programme is a coverage software underneath which the federal government procures crops like rice and wheat from farmers on the minimal assist worth (MSP) and shops and distributes foodgrains to the poor.