MUMBAI, May 19 -- Angry about the tumble in onion prices, farmers in Maharashtra's onion belt extending from Nashik to Marathwada staged aggressive protests on Monday, demanding a price of Rs 2,400 per quintal from Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs). In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Ambadas Danve led a stir on the Samruddhi Expressway, disrupting traffic for a while, while NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar warned that farmers would block the Mumbai-Agra Highway at Chandwad on May 26 if their demands were not met. Onion prices have crashed heavily to Rs 400-500 per quintal, with the average rate being Rs 1,150 per quintal on Monday in Nashik district's markets. For the last few months, onion farmers, suffering heavy losses due to the price freefall, have been raising their voice. Taking note, CM Devendra Fadnavis last week announced that the central government's National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) would begin onion procurement at Rs.12.35 per kg in Maharashtra. However, unhappy about the move that does not even cover their production costs, farmers staged protests in several parts of Maharashtra, including Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Jalna. A massive protest was held at Lasalgaon, the state's biggest onion market where thousands of farmers demanded that the government directly procure onions from APMCs at a minimum guaranteed rate of Rs 2,400 per quintal. Rohit Pawar joined the protest, driving a tractor loaded with onions at the Lasalgaon APMC. "Farmers are getting only five to six rupees per kg (Rs 500 to 600 per quintal) and are in a financial crisis," he said. "CM Fadnavis announced that the Centre would procure onions for Rs 12.35 per kg. But this does not even cover the production cost which is around Rs 18 per kg." Demanding a profit of at least Rs 5-6 per kg for farmers, Rohit said the government would have to procure onions at Rs 24 per kg for this....