The Centre has offloaded nearly 4,000 tonnes of onions from its buffer stock in 17 cities over the past 10 days as part of efforts to rein in elevated retail prices, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Sunday, according to PTI.
For 2026, the Centre is maintaining a 1.21 lakh-tonne onion reserve, with NCCF and NAFED tasked with shifting stocks from key producing regions to markets facing higher demand.
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The onions are being transported in bulk by trucks and a dedicated rail service, dubbed the "Kanda Express", and sold at Rs 35 per kg in selected price-sensitive markets.
"Approximately 4,000 tonnes of buffer onion have been sold so far in 17 cities," Khare said.
Bulk consignments have reached Delhi and Chennai through the Kanda Express, while a third rake is being loaded for dispatch to Guwahati, she said.
The government's intervention has provided some relief to consumers, with prices declining marginally, Khare said.
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NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra said the federation had sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onions and that the subsidised sales had resulted in a Rs 2-3 per kg decline in prices in some markets.
However, government data showed the average all-India retail price at Rs 50.79 per kg on September 5, up from Rs 48.50 per kg when the intervention began on August 28.
Officials expect the arrival of the new kharif onion crop from mid-October to improve supplies and ease price pressures further.
The rabi crop had suffered some damage during harvesting due to unseasonal rains.
(With PTI inputs)
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