New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday urged farm unions to end their protests, which entered eighth month, against the new farm laws and said the government is ready to talk on all the provisions of the three legistlations.
The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest. Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.
In a tweet, Tomar said the government is ready to for talks on any provision of the farm laws. He also posted a video saying that the legislations will make a big difference in living conditions of farmers. The Centre, he said, has increased the minimum support price (MSP) of farm produce and also the procurement at MSP. Despite a large number of people in the country supporting the new laws, he said the government is ready for talks with farm unions on the provisions of the legislations with which the unions have issues.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s borders for seven months now in protest against the three laws that they say will end state procurement of crops at MSP.