Another frustrated farmer sent Rs 6 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday. The Rs 6 is the amount the Ahmednagar-based farmer earned upon selling 5,314 kilograms (kg) of onions. Earlier, a farmer from Nasik had sent his earning of Rs 1,056 for 750 kg onion as a money order to the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund.

Shreyas Aabhale, a 21-year-old farmer from Sangamner in Ahmednagar district — 350 km from Mumbai — got angry after his 5,314 kg or 53.14 quintals onion yield earned him a mere Rs 6. Aabhale said, "I got a total Rs 3,208 while my expenditure was Rs 3,202 that includes transport cost and market charges. In hand, the trader gave me only Rs 6 in hand after deducting all his charges," Aabhale lamented.

"I hope the Chief Minister will study the onion issue and give us justice. The government has declared drought in our area but so far no relief packages have been given. If they fail to do something on time, then my loan amount will rise and that will push us in deep financial trouble," Aabhale said.

He said that he did not want to take this amount at home. "In fact, I spent Rs 1.80 lakh to cultivate the two acres of onion farm. There is a scarcity of rain so I set up the sprinkle-irrigation system. Besides, I spent on fertilizer, labour etc. The total expense of two-acres onion was Rs 1.80 lakh while the income is a mere Rs 6. I want to know from the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his government how a farmer can live in such difficult times with such a mere income derived from the sale of five quintals of onion," Aabhale said.

Abhale also expressed his anger over the drop in onion market in the past four years. "We cannot produce other crops because our land is suitable to cultivate onion alone. Whenever there is are talks of the rise in onion prices, this incumbent government floats the news of importing onion either from Pakistan or Egypt. So how will the rates rise?" Aabhale said.

Sadhabhau Khot, the Minister for State (marketing and federation) said that the farmer issue is very serious, and it cannot be resolved in a day. "We need to make a long-term scientific plan to resolve the farmer issue. I will personally raise this issue with the CM and try to find out a tangible solution," he said.