Farmers’ groups in Maharashtra have split down the middle over the decision taken by a section of the leadership to withdraw the strike. A faction primarily comprising farmers from Nashik district have decided to continue with the strike.
Nashik district in northern Maharashtra is agriculturally significant as it controls a major supply of onions to the whole country. As it is closer to Gujarat, all trucks carrying goods to Mumbai and other regions pass through the district. Farmers in Nashik have been aggressively protesting for their demands, at times attacking trucks on the highways.
On Saturday morning after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised a loan waiver for the farmers with land holdings less than 5 acres, the Kisan Kranti Morcha group led by Jayaji Suryavanshi announced that the strike has been called off. However, a faction led by veteran leader Raghunath Dada Patil did not agree to the terms set by the State government. Patil told
At the time of going to press, the farmers meeting at Nashik was still under way, which will decide the further strategy on the strike.
The development has led to an easing in the supply of vegetables to Mumbai region with 304 vehicles reaching the market yard on Sunday morning at Vashi, which is controlled by Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC).
Deputy Secretary of APMC, NG Jadhav, said that on an average, 500 to 550 vehicles carrying about 1,800 tonnes of vegetables reach the Vashi market yard everyday.
Trader-controlled ratesAn orange farmer from Amravati, Rishikesh Sontakke said there is enough produce in the fields but the farmers are not getting the right rates. All rates are governed by the traders. “The Fadnavis government is only talking about the smart city projects, Wi-Fi and application-based solutions; they are not taking any notice of the plight of the farmers,” he said.