NAFED yet to start retail onion outlets in city

LOKMAT NEWS NETWORK

Nashik, Nov 3

The government has taken steps to reduce onion prices. They have started the distribution of the buffer stock of onions again. In 170 cities of the country, including Pune and Mumbai, retail sale of onion has started at Rs 25 per kilograms through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF); but in Nashik, onion is still being sold at Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kilogram.

On Thursday, November 2, the price of summer onion was Rs 4000 to 4100 per quintal. Rates had fallen by Rs 300 from Wednesday. Distribution of onion from buffer stock to major centres across the country has been on since the second week of August. Retail consumers are getting onions at a concessional rate of Rs 25 per kg through mobile vans operated by NCCF and NAFED.

NAFED informed that retail centres have not started yet in Nashik. Apart from the 5,00,000 tonnes of onion, the union government has recently announced plans to procure an additional 2,00,000 tonnes of onion for buffer stock. Accordingly, onion is being sold at the rate of Rs 25 per kilogram.