India and the United States said on Wednesday that agriculture was the key issue for all member states of the World Trade Organisation and both New Delhi and Washington should make joint efforts to break the impasse prevailing after the failure of the Cancum meet.

India and the US could move forward the process of ending the deadlock by discussions, first at the technical level at Geneva and subsequently, if necessary, at the political level, Assistant US Trade Representative Ashley Wills said during his meeting with Minister of Commerce and Industry Arun Jaitley in New Delhi, according to an official release.

Jaitley said agriculture remained the most significant area in the WTO negotiations for countries like India where a large number of people depended on it for their livelihood, the release added.