Maharashtra onion row intensifies: Opposition leaders detained during Nashik protest; Fadnavis warns against ‘photo-op politics’

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA staged a protest in Nashik on Tuesday over the sharp fall in onion prices intensifying its agitation across Maharashtra over the crisis affecting farmersOpposition leaders Rohit Pawar Harshwardhan Sapkal and Ambadas Danve led the farmersrsquo protest in Chandvad Nashik demanding immediate government intervention The leaders were detained by police during the demonstration and later releasedOpposition claims pressure leads to Rs 15 per kg onion procurement rate revisionWhile speaking to reporters NCP Sharadchandra Pawar faction MLA Rohit Pawar referred to earlier protests over onion prices saying that similar agitation in the past had led to policy changes including a reduction in export duty in 2023He said that farmers are currently facing a severe crisis with onions being sold at as low as Rs 12 per kg in some markets which has caused widespread distress among growers Referring to a protest held in Lasalgaon on May 18 he said the agitation was aimed at highlighting the falling pricesRohit Pawar also criticised the government alleging that while preelection assurances were made regarding better onion rates the current procurement rates being offered are inadequate He claimed that farmers are being offered around Rs 1250 per kg calling it unfair in the present situationHe further stated that the MVA parties collectively staged protests including road blockades in Chandvad which he said contributed to the government revising the procurement price to Rs 15 per kgFarmers protest over low onion prices amid weatherrelated lossesFarmers participating in the ongoing agitation in Nashik have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the low onion procurement rates offered by the government They said adverse weather conditions including rainfall and other climatic issues have further increased their production challenges making the current prices unsustainableNCP Sharadchandra Pawar faction MLA Rohit Pawar said that the protests are currently centred in Nashik but are likely to spread to other major onionproducing districts such as Solapur Sangli Satara and Kolhapur where farmers are also facing similar pricerelated distressCost of product higher than market rates set by govtRohit said that farmers in Maharashtra and other states are facing a serious crisis over onion pricesHe stated that the cost of production is around Rs 18 Rs 20 per kg while the market price has dropped to just Rs 4ndashRs 5 per kg making it extremely difficult for farmers to sustain themselves financiallyChandvad Maharashtra NCP SP leader and MLA Rohit Pawar says Farmers in Maharashtra and other states are facing a major issue regarding onion prices Their production cost is around 18ndash20 per kg while the market price is only 4ndash5 per kg making it difficult forhellip pictwittercomZ2k0NDIHahmdash IANS ians_india May 26 2026Allegations of irregularities in NAFED procurementRohit Pawar also alleged irregularities in the procurement system involving the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd NAFEDHe claimed that earlier purchases through the market committee system benefited farmers due to competitive pricing whereas the current system allows private traders to procure onions from farmers at lower ratesHe alleged that traders buy onions at around Rs 45 per kg store them and later sell them to NAFED during price fluctuations earning significant profits while farmers receive minimal returnsDemand for wider export marketsRohit Pawar further said that onion sales should be expanded beyond domestic markets to increase farmer earnings He suggested exploring international export opportunities to ensure better price realisation for growersHe also referred to past export arrangements involving agricultural commodities such as bananas and sugar claiming that trade shifts in recent years have affected export opportunities for Indian produceHM Shah CM Fadnavis to hold meeting on onion price crashMeanwhile Chief Minister Fadnavis said a meeting on onion farmersrsquo issues will be held on Wednesday evening alleging that some leaders are staging protests merely for ldquophoto opportunitiesrdquo He said both the state and central governments are discussing the issue and added that the onion price has been fixed at Rs 15 per kgUnion Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will chair a highlevel meeting on Wednesday at his residence in Delhi to address concerns related to Maharashtrarsquos onion growers and the cooperative sugar sectorMeeting at 5 pm at Delhi residenceThe meeting scheduled for 5 pm will be attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar along with senior ministers legislators and representatives from cooperative sugar bodiesThe intervention comes amid growing stress in the statersquos agricultural economy with onion farmers facing a sharp price crash and the sugar industry grappling with policy uncertainties and rising costs linked to export restrictionsTop Maharashtra leadership to attendKey attendees will include ministers Chhagan Bhujbal Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Shivendraraje Bhosale along with legislators Dilip Walse Patil Jayant Patil Vinay Kore and Abhimanyu Pawar Representatives from the cooperative sugar sector including Harshvardhan Patil Chairman of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories and PR Patil Chairman of the Maharashtra State Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories will also be presentWatch Maharashtra farmers protest under lsquoRevolution Frontrsquo banner in Nashikrsquos ChandwadWatch Farmers in Maharashtrarsquos Nashik district staged a strong protest under the banner of the lsquoRevolution Frontrsquo in Chandwad against the sharp fall in onion pricesProtesters raised slogans against the government and wore garlands made of onions around their necks as a markhellip pictwittercomOkr4EIdCBmmdash United News of India uniindianews May 26 2026