Chandigarh, Farmer leaders on Monday rejected the Centre's proposal to procure pulses, maize and cotton at minimum support price (MSP) by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in the interest of farmers. A panel of three Union ministers – Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai – made this proposal to farmers during the fourth round of talks in Chandigarh on Sunday.

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said, “After discussing (the Centre's proposal) on our two forums, it has been decided that the Centre's proposal is not in the interest of the farmers and we reject this proposal.” He also said that the government should fix the MSP of 23 crops. At the same time, another farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the farmers will march to Delhi peacefully on February 21 at 11 am.

After the fourth round of talks with farmers on Sunday night, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “Cooperative societies like National Cooperative Consumer Federation and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India are selling 'Arhar Dal', 'Urad Dal', 'Masoor Dal' or Maize. “We will enter into a contract with the producing farmers so that their crops are purchased at MSP for the next five years.”

He had said, “There will be no limit on the quantity of procurement and a portal will be developed for this.” Goyal had also proposed that the Cotton Corporation of India would buy cotton from farmers at MSP for five years after entering into a legal agreement with them.

Protesting farmers at Shambhu Border on the Haryana-Punjab border after security forces stopped farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march to pressurize the Center for various demands, including legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. And are camping on the Khanauri border. Last week there were clashes between farmers and security forces.

Apart from legal guarantee of farmers MSP, implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm loan waiver, no hike in electricity rates, withdrawal of police cases, relief for victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence of 2021 'NYAY' are demanding restoration of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers killed during the 2020-21 agitation.