Residents of Delhi-NCR will get some relief from high onion prices thanks to the government’s measures to curb escalating costs. This intervention comes in response to growing concerns over the impact of rising food prices on household budgets, prompting the government to step in to ensure that onions, a staple in Indian kitchens, remain affordable to the public. For this, the Centre had decided to start retailing onions at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg through mobile vans and NCCF retail stores in Delhi-NCR from Thursday (September 5). According to an official statement, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi will launch this initiative from Krishi Bhawan.
The sale through mobile vans will be held at 38 locations, including Krishi Bhawan, NCUI complex, Rajiv Chowk metro station, Patel Chowk metro station and parts of Noida, he said. The intervention in the market is aimed at improving local supplies and curbing the rising prices of this kitchen staple, which are over Rs 60 per kg in the national capital.
NCCF has maintained a stock of onions procured directly from farmers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. These stocks will be put on retail sale at a subsidized price of Rs 35 per kg to protect consumers from high prices and prevent middlemen from making excessive profits. By working directly with farmers and selling onions at a discounted price, NCCF aims to play a key role in reducing the impact of price fluctuations on consumers.
India exported 2.6 lakh tonnes of onion till July
Last month, the Centre said the country exported 2.6 lakh tonnes of onions till July this fiscal year. “A total quantity of 2.60 lakh tonnes of onions had been exported till July 31, 2024, in the current fiscal year 2024-25,” Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs BL Verma said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. India had exported 16.07 lakh tonnes of onions in the last fiscal year. The average procurement price of onion for the buffer in the current year was Rs 2,833 per quintal, which is 64 per cent higher than the procurement price of Rs 1,724 per quintal last year.
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