ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Hundreds of small farmers on Thursday lambasted the policies of the World Trade Organization terming them pro-developed countries to the ultimate disadvantage of the third world countries.

Earlier, Sustainable Agriculture Action Group (SAAG), a national conglomerate of farmers rights groups, had announced a rally. However, due to enforcement of Section 144, the police forced the protesters to make a long queue starting from China Chowk up to the parade ground.

Around 700 to 800 small farmers, both men and women, expressed their concern over the WTO’s policies to be discussed during the 5th WTO ministerial conference on September 10-14 at Cancun, Mexico.

Most of the farmers were of the view that the government had failed to protect their interests in earlier such discussions and the same would happen during the upcoming WTO’s ministerial conference. Almost every participant of the demonstration was holding a placard criticising the WTO policies.

A press statement was also circulated among the mediapersons on the occasion. It said, “We the farmers from different parts of the country and development activists, representing different farmers rights groups and civil society organizations have gathered here in the federal capital to raise our demands vis a vis the WTO-dictated policies adversely affecting the agriculture sector in general and the small farmers in particular.”

It also said the agricultural policies being adopted by the ruling elites on the dictation of the WTO and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) had been adversely affecting the agriculture sector and the farmers.

“The state has been increasingly withdrawing the previously provided subsidies and procurement facilities for the farm sector economy. On the other hand, import duties on the agricultural products are being relaxed, causing the influx of cheaper agri- products of the multinational corporations in the country’s national market. Hence, the poor farmers are facing the brunt of these WTO-dictated policies, as the cost of the production is increasing with every passing day.”

Samina Omar of Sungi, one of the organisers, while talking to Dawn said the Cancun draft of the ministerial declaration was detrimental to the agriculture sector of the developing countries.

She said the draft would bind the governments of developing countries to commit not to provide support to the farmers of their respective countries, while the developed countries had provided cushion to their domestic agriculture.