Thousands of farmers from Dindori in Nashik, who set out on a 200-km march to Mumbai on Sunday to draw the government`s attention to their grievances, reached Shahpur—around  70 km from the city—on Thursday. The farmers have a 17-point list of demands, which includes the introduction of a minimum support price (MSP) for onions and appropriate price for agricultural produce, waiving electricity bills for farmers, speedy compensation for crop losses due to unseasonal rains and bestowing forest land rights.

The march has been launched by the CPI(M)’s All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS). Nashik is one of the biggest hubs of onion cultivation in the country but reduced prices in Maharashtra have resulted in farmers earning very little. On Monday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a subsidy of Rs 300 per quintal, but according to farmers, this is not enough to cover the input cost and a minimum of Rs 600 per quintal is required. About 25,000 farmers, mostly men, are participating in the rally. A few women, though, could be seen walking together in clusters or beside their husbands. “My wife is at home with our child,” said a farmer, Gyaneshwar Pawar, who said this was not his first time taking a part in a rally.