Indore, India: Mahesh Patel, a soya bean farmer in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, has been disappointed with the dismal produce in the just-concluded harvesting season.The 57-year-old, who has more than 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of fertile land, told Al Jazeera that the production of soya beans has suffered a major blow across the state due to excessive rain, which destroyed his standing crops.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list“The production is just about 9,000kg”, one-fifth of what it should be, Patel said.At the same time, prices of corn, which is grown in the proximity of soya beans, have crashed, as the excessive rain led to a bumper crop.But farmers like Patel have bigger issues about which to worry.The two agrarian items, which are grown extensively for livestock and human consumption and considered to be among the world’s most crucial row crops, are one of the key elements in the ongoing trade discussions between India and the United States.So far, President Donald Trump has imposed 50 percent tariffs on India, pushing several industries that export heavily to the US to the brink of collapse.One of the sticking points in trade negotiations is the US’s access to India’s agriculture sector. Washington wants New Delhi to open its market to genetically modified (GM) soya and corn.The GM technology involves altering plant DNA to introduce new traits that help speed up production compared with traditional breeding.The US is the world’s second-largest producer of soya beans …
