Sixth round of farmer-government talks remains inconclusive, next meeting on March 19

Chandigarh: The sixth round of talks between the central government and farmer leaders demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) on crops remained inconclusive on Saturday.

The two-and-a-half-hour meeting in Chandigarh failed to produce a resolution, with the next round scheduled for March 19.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the meeting as constructive, stating, “We presented the Modi government’s priorities to the farmers and also listened to their concerns. Farmers have their own data, and the government has its own. Both sets of figures will be analyzed together.”

During the meeting, Chouhan, along with Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal, urged farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to end his hunger strike.

However, Dallewal refused, asserting that the protest would continue until MSP is legally assured for all crops.

Chouhan noted that farmer organizations presented data supporting their demands, including procurement figures, purchase prices, and market rates.

Discrepancies between their data and the government’s figures led to discussions about their sources. It was decided that central agencies would collect the farmers’ data for review before the next meeting.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, who attended the talks, said, “The discussion on MSP was detailed, and all farmer leaders presented their views. It was a positive dialogue, and I hope for a constructive outcome.”