New Delhi: The Centre has sold around 4,000 tonnes of buffer onions across 17 cities in the first 10 days of a subsidised retail intervention aimed at controlling rising onion prices, Consumer Affairs
Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Sunday.
The government, through its agencies National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed), is maintaining a buffer stock of 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions for 2026.
The stored onions are being transported in bulk from producing states to major consumption centres through dedicated railway rakes, including the “Kanda Express”, and trucks.
The onions are being sold at a subsidised rate of ₹35 per kg in select price-sensitive cities.
Kanda Express Supplies Major Cities
“Approximately 4,000 tonnes of buffer onion have been sold so far in 17 cities,” Khare told PTI.
She said bulk consignments have already reached Delhi and Chennai through the Kanda Express, while a third rake is being loaded for dispatch to Guwahati in the coming days.
Khare said the government’s intervention has provided some relief to consumers, with onion prices witnessing a slight decline.
She added that the quality and quantity of the government’s buffer stock were comparable to the onions being sold by private traders.
Rabi Crop Damage Affects Supply
Khare noted that the rabi onion crop, which is generally stored for release later in the year, suffered some damage during harvesting due to untimely rains.
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NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra said the federation alone has sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onions across various cities.
“So far, we have sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onions in different cities across the country. The focus is on retail and selling at ₹35 per kg,” she said.
Several state governments have shown interest in joining the scheme. NCCF has partnered with some states to distribute onions through its stores, mobile vans, cooperative societies and other platforms identified by local administrations.
NCCF's retail intervention is currently underway in the Delhi-NCR region, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha and a few other states. The nodal Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) is handling the sorting, grading, packing and movement of buffer onion to these states.
According to Chandra, the subsidised sale has led to a Rs 2-3 per kg fall in prices.
Data maintained by the Department of Consumer Affairs shows the average all-India retail price of onion stood at Rs 50.79 per kg compared to Rs 48.5 per kg when the subsidised sale was launched on August 28.
On September 5, onion was retailing at Rs 58 per kg in Delhi, Rs 53 per kg in Mumbai, Rs 63 per kg in Chennai and Rs 40 per kg in Ranchi, while the average wholesale price stood at Rs 42.79 per kg.
Officials said the outlook for the new kharif onion crop looks promising, and its arrival in the market from mid-October is expected to ease supply pressure and bring further relief on prices.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
