Speaking at a road blockade organised on the Pune-Nashik highway in Ambegaon tehsil of Pune district, Sapkal claimed onion farmers were being forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices and blamed the Centre’s policies for the crisis in the sector.
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“Farmers are not even getting Rs 2 per kg for onions. We will continue our struggle until onion growers get justice and a price of Rs 3,000 per quintal,” he said.
The MVA organised the protest to press for a guaranteed price of Rs 3,000 per quintal for the kitchen staple, compensation for farmers who sold their crop at low prices, and procurement of the entire onion stock through NAFED.
Thousands of farmers participated in the agitation despite police action and detentions, organisers claimed. NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde, MLA Rohit Pawar, MP Nilesh Lanke and Shiv Sena UBT leaders also participated.
Sapkal said rising inflation, increasing cultivation costs and low returns from farm produce had pushed farmers into a severe financial crisis.Onion growers were particularly affected as market prices had fallen below production costs, he said.
He alleged that although the government had announced onion procurement, the process had not yet started.
“Procurement should be carried out through Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and farmers’ interests should be prioritised over those of traders,” said the Congress leader.
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NCP (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar alleged the government had attempted to prevent farmers and opposition leaders from reaching the protest venue by creating obstacles at several locations.
“The agitation will continue till onion growers get justice. We are seeking remunerative prices for onion growers amid sharp fall in market rates”, he said, adding that the opposition has sought an MSP of Rs 25 per kg for onions, subsidy of Rs 15 to Rs 20 per kg for onions already sold at lower rates and procurement of 8 to 10 lakh tons instead of the proposed two lakh.
