The retail price of onions has increased recently due to a shortage of onions in Nashik city. To help control prices, the central government has started distributing onions purchased under the Price Stabilization Fund Scheme.
On Saturday, November 16, 840 tonnes of onions were sent by rail from the storage facilities of two organizations, the NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers' Federation) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India), to Kishanganj in New Delhi. This is part of a larger effort to manage onion prices across the country.
So far, a total of 2,520 tonnes of onions have been sent to Delhi from the godowns at Lasalgaon, a major onion trading hub in Maharashtra. Additionally, 480 tonnes have been sent to Chennai's Korukipithu market to help stabilize prices in southern India.
The rise in onion prices has been linked to a decrease in the arrival of summer onions, which has led to a shortage. Retail prices have reached as high as Rs 80 per kilogram. In response, the government recently took action against traders suspected of hoarding, resulting in a drop of Rs 1,000 in onion prices last week.
In the Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), red onions were sold at prices ranging from Rs 1,600 to Rs 4,900 per quintal, with an average price of Rs 4,500. Summer onions were sold at a minimum price of Rs 2,900 and an average price of Rs 4,700 per quintal.
Besides New Delhi and Chennai, onions are also being transported by road to other states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam to ease the pressure on prices in these regions. The central government's efforts aim to bring relief to consumers and control further price hikes.