Sehore (MP), Feb 7 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday asserted that the interests of Indian farmers have been fully protected under the Indo-US trade deal, and dismissed the Opposition's claim that the pact will destroy the cultivators.

His statement came amid the Opposition Congress' continued attack on the Modi government over the interim trade agreement with the United States.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said India and the US have agreed to a trade deal. On his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was delighted that "made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent".

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the government of buckling under the US pressure to finalise a trade deal and "sold out" the hard work of the Indian farmers through the agreement. The Opposition party also alleged that PM Modi "completely surrendered to appease" Trump at the cost of India's farmers.

Chouhan, while addressing the National Pulses Conference in Sehore district, said PM Modi has always upheld the country's honour and never allowed India to bow.

"As agriculture minister, I can say with pride that the interests of our farmers have been fully safeguarded, whether it is with regards to basmati, rice, spices or textiles," an official statement quoted Chouhan as saying.

He said the rise in exports would open new markets for Indian farmers and their incomes would multiply.

It will benefit the farmers, he added.

"A hue and cry is being made by some people over the deal, like what will happen, it will spell doom. Thanks to PM Narendra Modi for fully protecting farmers' interest," he added.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the conference, he targeted the Opposition, saying there was a narrative that the country and farmers had been "sold out" and that cultivators would be ruined.

"As per the agreement reached under the PM's leadership, all our crops are safe. No maize, wheat, rice, soybean, poultry products, milk, cheese, ethanol, fuel or tobacco will come from the United States," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

Farmers' interests have been fully protected in the agreement, he reiterated.

At the conference, he called upon people and farmers to collectively thank the PM for fully safeguarding Indian farmers' interests.

Farming would be strengthened through a cluster model, with farmers being organised to increase production, Chouhan said.

"Every farmer will get full support. Farmers joining clusters will be given seed kits. Assistance of Rs 10,000 per hectare will be provided for model farming," he said.

The minister said the government was focusing on the entire system - from seed to market - to ensure farmers received remunerative prices for good produce.

He said setting up of pulse mills would be encouraged at the cluster level.

"On establishing a pulse mill, the central government will provide a subsidy of up to Rs 25 lakh," he added.

Chouhan said processing and sale of pulses would take place in the same areas where they were produced.

Under the mission, 1,000 pulse mills would be opened across the country, he said.

"Out of these, 55 pulse mills will be set up in different clusters of Madhya Pradesh," he added. PTI COR LAL NP

Indian farmers' interests secured under Indo-US trade deal; crops protected and cluster support with subsidies for pulse mills. The interim Indo US trade agreement is asserted to protect farmers' interests by excluding US imports of listed agricultural products and by reducing tariffs on made in India exports to expand markets. The government pairs trade assurances with a cluster based domestic support programme: seed kits, Rs 10,000 per hectare for model farming, and subsidies up to Rs 25 lakh for pulse mills, targeting 1,000 mills nationwide to promote local processing and remunerative prices.