Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday asserted adequate safeguards are built in to protect sensitive sectors, such as agriculture and dairy, from unfair competition under the India-US free trade deal.He was responding to reports of farmer organisations fearing that the India-US deal may adversely affect Indian agriculture and the dairy sector by exposing small and marginal farmers to unfair competition.Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the minister noted that issues relating to farmers are addressed proactively and expeditiously by the ruling dispensation to ensure their socio-economic well-being.”India is a net agricultural exporter. The government undertakes negotiations for free trade agreements (FTAs) only after carefully safeguarding the interests of Indian agriculture, allied sectors, and farmers, including small and marginal farmers. Adequate safeguards are built in to protect sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy from unfair competition,” he said.The remarks come in view of US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announcing that the “new US-India deal” would allow greater exports of American farm products into India, describing it as a major win for American farmers and rural communities.“The new US-India deal will export more American farm products to India’s massive market, lifting prices, and pumping cash into rural America,” Rollins said in a post, thanking US President Donald Trump for “once again delivering for our American farmers”.When asked about the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) announcing renewed nationwide farmers’ protests citing continued agrarian distress and non-fulfilment of assurances given after the withdrawal of the three farm laws in 2021, the minister said most of the issues related to the Electricity Amendment Bill; setting up of national commissions for chilli, turmeric and other spices; rights of tribal communities over water, forest and land under the Fifth Schedule; stricter punishment for manufacture of fake/spurious seeds, fertilisers and pesticides; and rationalisation of penal provisions related to paddy-straw burning have been addressed.He added that farmer unions’ concerns relating to rural employment and farm incomes have been addressed under the newly enacted Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen).Chouhan said to restore and strengthen farmers’ trust, the government is engaging with them through initiatives such as Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, interactive field visits, and meetings with farmers’ organisations.”To ensure remunerative prices, MSP is fixed at 1.5 times the cost of production for 22 crops, along with undertaking record procurement. To promote crop diversification, the government is procuring Tur, Urad, and Masoor under the Pulses Atmanirbharta Mission, and cotton under the Cotton Mission through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. A digital price discovery platform, National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), is being implemented across 23 States and 4 UTs to enable farmers to make informed decisions,” he added.