WTO and Indian Agriculture

The investigation was undertaken to assess the impact of WTO on external trade, the competitiveness and comparative advantage in exports, problems in exports and the measures taken to boost the foreign trade in selected agricultural commodities. The secondary data pertaining to quantity and value of selected agricultural commodities under exports and imports were collected for the periods i.e. Pre-WTO (1985-86 to 1994-95) and post-WTO (1995-96 to 2005-06) period. Study pointed out that during the post-WTO period the export and import of agricultural commodities was increased as compared to pre-WTO period. India has comparative advantage in export of rice, wheat, onion, grapes, coffee and pepper in World market. India has moderate competitiveness for the export of wheat, rice, onion, potato, grapes, mangoes and cashew kernels in World market. The study suggests that there is urgent need to divert the export of commodities from neighboring countries where, the price realization is less to the countries where the price realization is comparatively more. However, infrastructural facility play a key role in long run growth in export of agriculture commodities which is the need of hour.