Police in India tear gassed protesting farmers Wednesday when they resumed their march towards the capital New Delhi to demand guaranteed prices for their crops.

The farmers had been camped about 200 kilometers outside the city for several days after their initial march on New Delhi last week was halted when police erected barricades along the highway and fired tear gas. The farmers began Wednesday’s march using bulldozers and excavators to move barricades from the highway.

The march was spearheaded by farmers from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana that are known as India’s breadbasket. The protesters said the government has failed to meet promises it made after they called off a year-long protest in 2021.

Leaders with the various farmers’ unions held several days of talks with government officials in the hopes of reaching an agreement. The government offered the farmers a five-year contract for guaranteed prices for several crops such as pulses, dry grains, maize and cotton, which would be paid by co-operatives that the government supports.

The farmers rejected the offer, standing by their demands for guaranteed prices for all their crops.

In addition to the guaranteed prices, the farmers also want the government to keep promises it has made to double their incomes, give pensions to farmers and farm laborers and waive loans taken by farmers.

Farmers say agriculture is no longer viable because crop prices have not kept pace with rising overhead costs such as fertilizer, diesel and seeds. They also say crop yields have become more uncertain due to the growing frequency of extreme weather events.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters.