New Delhi: In the fourth round of talks held in Chandigarh on Sunday, Union minister Piyush Goyal suggested a five-year deal with the farmers to purchase pulses and cotton at the minimum support price (MSP).
"We have together proposed a very innovative, out-of-the-box idea...The govt promoted cooperative societies like NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) will form a contract and buy products from the farmers on MSP. There will be no limit on the quantity," the minister said after the meeting with the farmer leaders.
However, the farmers are yet to respond on the proposals. Notably, the fourth round of talks between three Central ministers and farmer leaders ended in the early hours of Monday after over nearly five hours of deliberations.
While replying to the proposal, Sarwan Singh Pandher (General Secretary, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee) said, "We will discuss on this over the next two days and the government will also deliberate. We hope for a positive result, else we will continue with our (programme of) Delhi march.”
During the meeting, the farmers stressed the need for crop diversification amid depleting groundwater table, Union Minister Piyush Goyal further added.
'Delhi Chalo' march: What do the farmers want?
The protesting farmers began their 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 13 to push the Centre to address their demands. Foremost among these demands is the enactment of a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Notably, two years ago they forced the Modi government to take back three farm laws after a year-long protest at Delhi’s borders.
