On January 5, 2026, the Thalavady Farmers Association urged the Indian government to exclude agriculture and dairy sectors from the India-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA). In a petition to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Erode, Mr. Kannaiyan highlighted the concern over the US pushing India to allow imports of wheat, soybean, canola, milk, and other dairy products. He warned that importing crops for ethanol production would lower domestic crop prices. Maize farmers are already struggling to cover costs, and imports could worsen their distress. Mr. Kannaiyan stressed that India's dairy sector, the largest milk producer globally, relies on small and marginal farmers with a decentralised household model. He cautioned that imports of subsidised dairy items would hurt milk production and threaten the livelihoods of nearly 15 crore families dependent on dairy. The association called on the government to exclude agriculture and dairy from all FTAs, including the India-US deal.