New Delhi/IBNS: Union Minister Anurag Thakur Thursday reiterated that the Centre is always ready for talks with protesting farmers.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, the minister said, “We were ready for talks earlier, are ready even today, and will be ready to discuss their issues even in the future.”

He highlighted the steps taken by the government to double farmers’ income and achieve higher growth in the agriculture and allied sectors.

“The government has doubled the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and increased procurement by more than two times,” he said.

“India is paying the highest price for sugarcane in the world. And the price fixed is 107% higher than the A2 plus formula for sugarcane. A2 includes all the expenses incurred by the farmers for buying chemicals, fertilisers, seeds, and hired labour, while A2 plus FL covers the actual cost incurred plus the implicit cost in the form of family labour,” he said while highlighting the Cabinet’s decision to hike the fair and remuneration price for sugarcane for the season 2024–25 by 8% to Rs 340 per quintal.

“Modi Government has spent Rs 18.39 lakh crore in the last 10 years on procurement of wheat, paddy, oilseeds, and pulses as against Rs 5.5 lakh crore by the UPA regime,” he said.

“Despite the increase in the prices of fertilisers across the world, we did not allow the prices of fertilisers to increase for the farmers,” he further said, adding that the government gave subsidies up to Rs 3 lakh crore to ensure that fertilisers are made available to farmers at reasonable rates.

On Wednesday, a farmer died at Haryana's Khanauri border, where protesting farmers clashed with the police following which the protesters suspended their march to Delhi for two days.

Farmers' group AIKS (All-India Kisan Sabha) alleged that the farmer died during the police action.

The farmers are currently continuing the sit-in protest.

The farmers, who had called off the protests briefly, resumed it on Wednesday, snubbing the government's offer to buy a few crops at the old MSP.

Just a couple of days ago, the government held a meeting with the protesting farmers' unions and came out with a plan involving the purchase of pulses, maize and cotton crops by government agencies at MSP.