NCP MP Supriya Sule has alleged that Maharashtra government's 'anti-farmer' policies and failure to provide adequate remunerative prices for agricultural produce have broken the backbone of farmers.
"Because of the anti-farmer policies of the government and not providing adequate remunerative prices for their agricultural produce like onion, soyabean and pulses, the backbone of the farmers has been broken," Sule said.
She was addressing public meetings at Yeola and Atgaon here yesterday ahead of the elections to Nashik Municipal Corporation, panchayat samiti and zilla parishad.
Criticising the demonetisation move, the NCP leader said that, "The Modi government at the Centre took votes in 2014 and 'notes' in 2017."
The farmers were destroyed, she said while alleging that the government has also forgotten its assurance of giving adequate support prices for their agricultural produce.
"Earlier, we welcomed Prime Minister Modi's demonetisation move, but in an attempt to pull out blackmoney (from the system), the government caused hardships to the common man," Sule said.
The government even kept an eye on gold ornaments of women, she said.
During her visit to Yeola, Sule met farmer Krishna Dongare, who had set ablaze the onion crop on 2.5 acres of his land on Tuesday out of frustration, after the prices crashed.
"I have spent Rs three lakh on the onion crop in my field, but traders have stopped buying the produce in auctions. Farmers are staging road blockades in the district demanding better prices. The demand was also hit by the demonetisation. If I sold my crop today, I would get only Rs 60,000," Dongare had earlier said.
Sule said the burnt onions will be presented to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
According to traders, onion prices fell to around Rs 100-150 per quintal at some places for past several days and farmers were not recovering even the input costs.
The APMC centres in the district, including those at Mungse and Zodge, have stopped auctions of onion, as it is not possible to send the crop to markets across the country due to shortage of railway wagons, the traders had said.
NCP's women state chief Chitra Wagh, MLC from Nashik Jayawant Jadhav and some local leaders were present during Sule's public meetings.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
