India has fully protected its sensitive sectors such as dairy, rice, wheat, pulses, tea, and coffee by not granting any import duty concessions to the European Union (EU) in the bilateral free trade agreement, according to the commerce ministry.

The country has also safeguarded other sectors, including beef and poultry, fish and seafood, cheese, maize, corn, fruits and vegetables, nuts, edible oils, spices, and tobacco, the ministry said.

The move is important as it involves the livelihood of small and marginal farmers. India has never granted duty benefits in the dairy sector in any of its previous free trade agreements (FTAs). "We will always protect this segment," an official said.

India and the EU concluded negotiations for the FTA on Tuesday. The agreement is likely to be signed and implemented this year.

The EU has also excluded certain sectors from the pact, safeguarding items such as meat and meat offal, dairy products, honey, rice, sugar, and tobacco.

As per the agreement, several Indian agricultural goods will get duty concessions in EU markets, which will help boost the country’s exports.

India will get preferential market access to about 87 per cent of tariff lines or product categories of agricultural goods such as tea, coffee, spices, and table grapes.