Onions To Be Sold At Rs 35 Per Kg In THESE Cities As Centre Releases Buffer Stock

Jagran Correspondent: Onion prices have surged across several major cities, prompting the central government to step in and release buffer stocks to boost market supplies. The government has begun transporting onions from Nashik to key consumption centres, which will be sold at a subsidised retail price.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Monday that the government had started transporting onions from Nashik in Maharashtra to major consumption centres through the Kanda Express train. The stock loaded onto the special train is expected to reach the designated centres by Wednesday.

The onions will be sold in the retail market at Rs 35 per kg through agencies such as the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).

Onion Prices Surge Across Major Cities

Onion prices have risen sharply over the past few days. In Delhi, retail onion prices stood at Rs 55 per kg on Monday, up from Rs 35 per kg a year ago. In Chennai, onions were selling at Rs 60 per kg, compared with Rs 33 per kg last year. In Kolkata, the price stood at Rs 53 per kg.

Khare said the government would initially supply onions to five major consumption centres--Delhi, Chennai, Madurai, Ernakulam and Guwahati. Additional locations will be covered later depending on market requirements.

The government plans to make the buffer-stock onions available in both wholesale and retail markets in these centres.

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Government Monitors Onion Prices

Khare said the government was closely monitoring onion prices across the country. She pointed out that mandi prices in Nashik were higher than those in Delhi, even though prices in the production centre would normally be expected to be lower. According to her, this could indicate commercial cartelisation or speculative activity.

The government currently holds 1.21 lakh tonnes of onion buffer stock, which it considers sufficient to meet market demand.

Onion prices typically rise during August and September due to increased demand during the festive season, weather-related disruptions, supply-chain movements and changing consumption patterns. The government releases buffer stocks in a controlled manner to moderate such price increases.

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‘Kanda Express’ Expands Onion Transportation

The ‘Kanda Express’ was launched in 2024-25 to strengthen the logistics network for transporting large quantities of onions across the country. Its use has expanded significantly since its launch.

In 2024-25, 14 rakes carrying around 12,000 tonnes of onion buffer stock were dispatched to five cities. In 2025-26, the number rose to 86 rakes, transporting around 88,000 tonnes of onions to 16 major cities across the country.

The latest move is aimed at increasing supplies in key consumption centres and helping contain the recent rise in onion prices.