No compromise on food subsidy programme

Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma has said he will not compromise on food subsidies for the poor, at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting to be held in Bali, Indonesia, next week, but left open the possibility of an interim subsidy deal designed to salvage a trillion-dollar trade pact.

The meeting is to be held from December 3.

Anand Sharma, who will be leading the delegation to Indonesia, said the G-33 group of developing countries supported the stance on the country's food subsidy programme.

The welfare programme to give cheap food to 800 million people by large-scale stockpiling and procurement at minimum prices will be fully implement in 2014 although, it will contravene WTO rules limited farm subsidies to 10 percent of production.

"As far as what we give to the poor is our right. That is insulated in entirety from any multilateral negotiations or WTO negotiations. For us it is sacrosanct and non-negotiable," Sharma said.

"Public procurement, using public funds and stocks so secured, can't be released for global trade," he added.

Sharma refused to say whether he would accept the proposal led by the United States to waive the 10 percent rule until 2017.

The minister was, however, optimistic about the outcome of the Bali talks provided, the wealthy nations addressed the concerns of developing nations.