Government buffer onions have been sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kilogram in 17 cities over the past 10 days, as the Centre seeks to contain a sharp rise in retail onion prices. The onions are being distributed through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), mobile vans, stores and other local platforms.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Sunday that around 4,000 tonnes of onions from the government’s buffer stock had been sold during the first 10 days of the retail intervention. The stock is being moved from producing states to major consumption centres in bulk through trucks and a dedicated service called Kanda Express.
The Centre has held 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions as buffer stock for 2026 through NCCF and NAFED. The release was initiated after onion prices rose sharply in markets across the country. Under the current plan, onions are being sold at Rs 35 per kilogram in selected price-sensitive cities.
A substantial quantity has already reached Delhi and Chennai through Kanda Express, according to the report. A third consignment was being loaded for transportation to Guwahati, indicating that the distribution network is being extended beyond the initial destinations. The government has not provided, in the supplied report, a city-wise breakdown of the 4,000 tonnes sold across all 17 cities.
NCCF managing director Anees Joseph Chandra said the federation had sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onions at Rs 35 per kilogram through retail outlets in different cities. The federation has also reached agreements with some state governments to distribute the onions through its stores, mobile vans, cooperative societies and other platforms identified by local administrations.
The intervention has coincided with a modest decline in the all-India retail price of onions. Department of Consumer Affairs data cited in the report showed that the average retail price fell to Rs 48.50 per kilogram on August 28 from Rs 50.79 per kilogram before the release of buffer stock. However, prices remained substantially higher in several major cities on September 5.
On that date, onions were priced at Rs 58 per kilogram in Delhi, Rs 53 in Mumbai, Rs 63 in Chennai and Rs 40 in Ranchi, while the average wholesale price stood at Rs 42.79 per kilogram. The figures show that the subsidised government supply has not brought retail prices down uniformly across markets.
The authorities’ immediate focus remains on moving buffer stock to consumption centres and maintaining retail sales through government agencies and local distribution channels. Further consignments and expanded sales arrangements are expected to determine how widely consumers can access onions at the subsidised rate.
