Mon Dec 15 14:19:01 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided text:
Indian Farmers Protest Proposed U.S. Free Trade Deal, Citing Economic Fears
Mysuru, India – December 15, 2025 – Activists from the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Green Brigade staged a demonstration in Mysuru today, protesting a potential free trade agreement between India and the United States in the agricultural sector. The protest took place outside the office of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Member of Parliament for Mysuru.
The “Collective Leadership” faction of the farmers’ body voiced concerns that a deal allowing duty-free or low-duty imports of U.S. agricultural products like maize, rice, cotton, soybeans, pulses, dairy, and chicken would devastate Indian farmers already struggling with low crop prices, climate change impacts, rising cultivation costs, and the dominance of middlemen.
In a memorandum addressed to MP Wadiyar, the protestors cited National Crime Records Bureau data highlighting the high rate of farmer suicides in India, including Karnataka. They argued that news of the potential agreement had already negatively impacted maize prices and feared further economic damage if Indian markets were flooded with cheaper U.S. agricultural goods.
The farmers’ body emphasized that agriculture employs approximately 46% of India’s population, compared to just over 10% in the U.S. They warned that such a free trade agreement would “completely destroy not only the agriculture sector, but also the employment sector and the overall economy of the country.”
The protesters urged MP Wadiyar to raise his voice in Parliament, advocating against the free trade deal and protecting the interests of the Indian farming community.
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