WTO chief sees India as global farm power

India can become a global agriculture power if it steps up the pace of farm sector reforms, Supachai Panitchpakdi said.

India can become a global agriculture power if it steps up the pace of farm sector reforms, World Trade Organisation director general Supachai Panitchpakdi said on Monday.

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"I don't see India only as an industrial power, which it is in the making, but also an agriculture power," he told the India Economic Summit of the Davos-based World Economic Forum.

"Why should India be waiting so long in the wings?" he asked, while answering a question at the summit, co-hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry. "Even China does not have the land to become an agriculture power the way India has."

According to Supachai, the global field for trade in farm goods was more level today than before. "My recommendation is India should take up the fight," he said, adding: "The pace of agriculture reforms should really be increased."

The former deputy prime minister of Thailand said reforms in the agriculture sector would not result in loss of jobs. Reforms, he said, would mean efficient use of pesticides and better farming technologies to enhance productivity.

Supachai said developing countries generally tend to raise non-trade issues at regional forums and feel they cannot do so at larger multilateral platforms. "I want to expand their resources in multilateral forums."