Protesting farmers block Mumbai-Agra highway in Nashik

Nashik, Feb 26 (PTI) A group of farmers, who were on a hunger strike demanding minimum support prices (MSP) for onions and maize, briefly blocked the Mumbai-Agra national highway in Maharashtra’s Nashik district on Thursday, officials said.

The farmers had been agitating for the past four days on the premises of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee at Chandwad, seeking MSP for the two crops.

After the farmers occupied the busy carriageway, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, who represents the Malegaon Outer constituency in the district, met the protesters, said officials.

The minister assured them of a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and appealed to them to call off the protest.

Following the assurance, the farmers withdrew their agitation, the officials said, adding that Dindori MP Bhaskar Bhagare and Dhule MP Shobha Bacchav were also present. PTI COR NR