'There should be a permanent solution to the grain stock issue for food security'; G33 countries appeal to WTO members

The G33 group of countries on Sunday expressed serious concern over the lack of progress in agricultural trade talks. The group urged WTO members to work on a permanent solution to the issue of public storage of grains for food security purposes.

The G33 group includes 47 developing and least developed countries. In a joint statement, the G33 group also said it is a developing country's right to use the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) as an important instrument against major import increases or sudden price declines.

According to the group, members should agree and decide on the SSM at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC). However, the G33 statement on the issue of public stock holding called for a permanent solution at the 13th ministerial conference starting on Monday in Abu Dhabi.

MC is the highest decision-making body of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The G-33 Ministerial Statement on Agricultural Trade Talks at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference said, 'The co-sponsoring members of the G-33 call on all (WTO) members to reach a consensus on this issue (public stockholding) and adopt a lasting solution. Everyone is urged to make concrete efforts.

An overwhelming majority of G33 members recognize the critical importance of public stockholdings for food security purposes for developing countries, thereby meeting rural development imperatives including supporting low-income or resource-poor producers along with their food and livelihood security.

The Public Stock Holding (PSH) program is a policy tool under which the government purchases crops such as rice and wheat from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and stores and distributes the food grains to the poor.