Opposition leaders Rohit Pawar, Harshwardhan Sapkal and Ambadas Danve led the farmers’ protest in Chandvad, Nashik, demanding immediate government intervention

Farmers 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 unsustainable

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar said that the protests are currently centred in Nashik but are likely to spread to other major onion-producing districts such as Solapur, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur, where farmers are also facing similar price-related distress

Rohit said that farmers in Maharashtra and other states are facing a serious crisis over onion prices

He stated that the cost of production is around Rs 18 - Rs 20 per kg, while the market price has dropped to just Rs 4–Rs 5 per kg, making it extremely difficult for farmers to sustain themselves financially

Rohit Pawar also alleged irregularities in the procurement system involving the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd

Rohit 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 growers.