Farmers' strike in Maharashtra: APMCs in Nashik remain closed

Nashik: All 15 Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Nashik district of Maharashtra today remained closed on the fifth day of farmers' state-wide strike.

Nashik is one of the major centres of fruit and vegetable production in the state, and the biggest producer of onion in the country.

Speaking at a meeting called here by Kisan Kranti Morcha, which is coordinating the strike, senior agriculture expert Dr Budhaji Mulik said the state government was misleading the farmers and the strike will continue till all demands were met.

Police detained 50 activists of Kisan Kranti Morcha in Nashik. The activists were allegedly asking vendors to close their shops.

NCP leader and chairman of Pimpalgaon Baswant APMC in the district Dilip Bankar said all 15 APMCs remained closed today. No onion auctions took place at Pimpalgaon and Lasalgaon APMCs, he said.

Farmers dumped milk and onions on the road at Dugaon in Chandvad tehsil, reports said.

Officials at the rural police control room said that agitators were detained at many places in the district as they tried to block roads.

Farmers in Maharashtra have been on the warpath since June 1 for their demands including waiver of farm loans and lower power tariff. Nashik and Ahmednagar have become nerve centres of the protest.