Lollobrigida says has met and is meeting farmers

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 8 - Farm Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said Thursday he had met and was continuing to meet protesting farmers' groups after one of the main groups set an ultimatum for noon Saturday to receive them or else see the streets of Rome invaded by all their tractors.
    "As for the farmers' delegations, I have already met them and we are still meeting associations'," he said.
    "All associations in Italy have a dialectical relationship with the government." "I do not have the problem of meeting, when I think they are good people", I have met many delegations, or individuals or groups".
    The minister recalled that there is an "archipelago of (groups)", but that 'there are some who are evidently used as testimonials for positions that have little to do with representation".
    A group callings itself Agricultural Redemption earlier said they would allow their tractors to roam free in the capital Saturday unless the minister replied to their ultimatum by midday on that day. (ANSA).