Protesting farmers will stay put at the two borders of Punjab and Haryana over their various demands as the deadlock persisted despite the third round of talks with a panel of Union ministers.

A five-hour meeting, which started around 8:45 pm on Thursday, between three Union ministers and the farmer leaders remained inconclusive.

The two sides will now meet on February 18 for the fourth round of talks. The two previous rounds of dialogue on February 8 and 12 also remained inconclusive.

Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai represented the Centre at Thursday’s meeting over the farmer unions’ various demands, including a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also joined the meeting at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 here.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have given a ‘Delhi Chalo’ call to press the BJP-led central government to accept their demands.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Union Minister Munda said the meeting between the government and the farmer leaders took place in a cordial atmosphere.

There was a positive discussion, he said.

The talks will continue and will now take place on Sunday at 6 pm, he said.

“We will find a solution by sitting together,” he added.

Mann said a detailed discussion took place between farmer leaders and the ministers.