With the Centre denying the state government’s proposal of providing subsidy on onions, the irked farmers have finally hit the streets. On Saturday morning, hundreds of farmers held a two-hour rasta roko agitation at Satana-Malegaon road to protest the government’s failure to solve their woes.

With onion prices falling every day, the protests are likely to intensify further.

Due to the bumper crop this year, there has been a sharp fall in onion prices. To offset farmers’ loss, the state government had proposed to give a subsidy of Rs 100 per quintal to farmers. However, the Centre has rejected the proposal and instead asked the state government to avail the benefits of export subsidy scheme.

Enraged over this, farmers in Nashik district, which produces 70 per cent onion crop in the state, on Friday held a dharna opposite APMC market in Nampur. On Saturday, they held a rasta roko on Satana-Malegaon road by dumping onion on the street.

“The protests of farmers will continue. The government is neither giving them a subsidy nor a guarantee rate...the subsidy would have ensured farmers at least will not suffer financial losses,” said Jaydutt Holkar, chairman of Lasalgaon APMC.