The government's ninth round of negotiations with protesting farmer unions will take place as scheduled on Friday and the Centre is hopeful of positive discussions, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Thursday.

"The government is ready to hold talks with farmers' leaders with an open mind," Tomar told reporters here.

Clearing the confusion over the fate of the ninth round of talks, which was the only outcome in the last meeting on January 8, in the wake of the Supreme Court on January 11 appointing a four-member panel to resolve the impasse and a key member of the proposed committee subsequently recusing himself, Tomar said the talks between the government and the union representatives will take place as scheduled for 12 pm on January 15.

The farmer unions have been maintaining that they were ready to attend the scheduled talks with the government, even as they have said they do not want to appear before the court-appointed panel and have also questioned its composition.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday said that agitating farmers’ unions are ready to hold talks with the government and attend the ninth round of negotiations as per schedule. He stressed on the necessity of continuing the dialogue to resolve the deadlock and end the agitation.

Tikait also said the protesting unions will attend the meeting with union ministers on Friday.

Asked if unions have any hope from the Friday meeting, Tikait told PTI, “Let's see what happens tomorrow. But, our meetings will continue with the government till our protest ends as it is necessary.”

“We will not oppose the meetings with the government,” Tikait said when asked if Friday’s meeting could be the last if nothing comes out of the talks.

The farmer unions have been maintaining that they were ready to attend the scheduled talks with the government, even as they have said they do not want to appear before the court-appointed panel and have also questioned its composition.

Earlier in the day, Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann said he is recusing himself from the four-member committee.

Farmer unions and opposition parties had called it a "pro-government" panel, insisting that its members have been in favour of the three laws in the past.

Mann said he is thankful to the apex court for nominating him on the panel but would give up any position to prevent farmers' interests from being compromised.

"As a farmer myself and a union leader, in view of the prevailing sentiments and apprehensions amongst the farm unions and the public in general, I am ready to sacrifice any position offered or given to me so as to not compromise the interests of Punjab and farmers of the country," he said in a statement.

"I am recusing myself from the committee and I will always stand with my farmers and Punjab," Mann added.

The apex court had on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three central laws till further orders and announced the formation of a committee to hear the grievances of the farmers and the opinion of the government.

Apart from Mann, Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute's Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati were appointed on the panel.