India facing real challenge at WTO: Suresh Prabhu

With the US going back on its commitment to find a permanent solution to the public food stockholding issue, India is facing a "real challenge" at the World Trade Organisation, Union minister Suresh Prabhu said today.

"For the first time, the country is seeing a real challenge at WTO and the global trading system itself. Because, first time, countries are putting roadblocks and (it) is going to be real, real issue," Prabhu said.

In a disappointment to developing countries like India, talks at the WTO's 11th ministerial conference at Buenos Aires collapsed in December last year, with the US going back on its commitment to find a permanent solution to the public food stockholding issue.

As the US refused to engage, the 164-member World Trade Organisation (WTO) failed to reach a common ground for resolving the food security issue, a demand raised prominently by India.

Addressing industrialists at an event, organised by the Federation of Indian Exports Organisation (FIEO) here, the minister said "We are not enemies (with countries) as far as trade is concerned."
Prabhu said to boost agriculture exports, government was planning to roll out an "agriculture export policy."