Farmers demanding immediate payment of the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce, as promised by the government, began their 10-day nation-wide strike on Friday. The strike will continue till June 10.

The mega strike has been called under the banner of the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, which is an association of 130 farmers’ organisations. The farmers will stop supplies of milk and vegetables to cities as part of the strike. They are also demanding complete loan waiver, higher prices for their produce and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation on minimum support prices.

The strike call marks the first anniversary of the historic agitation by farmers across Maharashtra. On June 1, 2017, the farmers went on strike for the first time ever. Their agitation was marked by violence, with angry farmers spilling milk and throwing vegetables on the road. The agitation ended with the Maharashtra government promising a loan waiver and setting a deadline for it.

While the Devendra Fadnavis government did eventually announce a loan waiver and implemented it, the farmers were not satisfied, and had been complaining of other unfulfilled demands. They will now hold protests once again over their various “unresolved” demands like higher milk purchase prices besides a complete loan waiver.

As part of the protest, the farmers in Maharashtra will take their cattle to the tehsil offices on June 1 to draw the BJP-led government’s attention to their issues.

The dairy farmers have alleged that they are paid very less for milk. When milk is being sold at more than Rs 50 per litre, the farmers are paid less than Rs 20. The milk producers have sought Rs 27 per litre purchase rate, but the state government has so far not paid heed to the demand.

Last year agitation to press for their different demands, including loan waiver, had disrupted supply of vegetables and other essentials to cities, including Mumbai for many days.

The protest was called off on June 11 after the state government gave a firm assurance of bringing a comprehensive scheme to help the debt-ridden farmers. The government later unveiled a mega Rs 34,022-crore farm loan waiver scheme.

The last year’s protest had spilled on to other states too. On June 6, 2017, five farmers were allegedly killed in police firing during protests in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.

The farmers have affirmed that the protests will be peaceful this time and no roads or highways will be blocked during these 10 days. Only supplies will be stopped to cities.