New Delhi, Feb 26: A farmers’ delegation led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader M S Tikait on Wednesday met with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and submitted a memorandum of demands to him.

The delegation held discussions with Pawar on wide-ranging issues, including the need to provide loans at low interest and to reduce the unit area for crop insurance purposes.

During his meeting with the delegation, Pawar expressed the Centre’s commitment to protect their interests in World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations.

Pawar apprised the farmers about the steps taken by the government in the recent past for improving their earnings and to remove their hardships.

The farmers appreciated the initiatives taken by the government, especially the remarkable rise in minimum support price (MSP) of major crops in the last three years.

He also assured the delegation that he would personally look into the suggestions made by them in the memorandum, and invited them for a more detailed discussion next week. (ANI)