In an effort to mitigate the soaring onion prices in India, the central government has initiated the retail sale of onions at a subsidized rate of Rs 25 per kilogram.
According to The Economic Times report, this move comes as prices in Delhi have reached around Rs 60 per kg on e-commerce platforms.
Read More: Oil And Gas Giants Including IOC And GAIL (India) Ltd Slapped With Fines – Here’s Why
The initiative, led by the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), Kendriya Bhandar, and other state-controlled cooperatives, includes the distribution of onions via mobile vans and at various retail points.
The report added that Kendriya Bhandar stores and Mother Dairy Safal outlets have also joined the effort, offering onions at the subsidised price. The Hyderabad Agricultural Cooperatives Association (HACA) is another key player in this initiative, aimed at directly reaching consumers.
Read More: Malaysia goes visa-free for Indians, details here
India’s onion crop, primarily grown in three seasons – kharif, late kharif, and rabi – is experiencing a price hike due to delayed kharif crop arrivals. The rabi onion, known for its longer shelf life, is typically stored to manage price fluctuations between the seasons.
According to the report, the government maintains an onion buffer stock to stabilize these variations and has increased the stock to 5.00 lakh metric tonnes this year from the initial target of 3.00 lakh metric tonnes. Subsequent procurement targets were raised, with NCCF and NAFED tasked to procure an additional 1.00 lakh tonne each, eventually increasing the total to 7 lakh tonnes.
Read More: Cabinet to approve Rs 44k crore Great Nicobar transhipment port project by year end: Official
In addition to onions, measures have been taken to control the prices of staple foods like atta (wheat flour) and dal (pulses). The government introduced Bharat Atta and Bharat Dal at subsidized rates of Rs 27.5 per kg and Rs 60 per kg, respectively. These are available to consumers through NAFED, NCCF, Safal stores, and selected cooperatives. As of November 2nd, NAFED established 329 retail points in 55 cities across 21 states, and NCCF set up 457 retail points in 54 cities across 20 states, incorporating both stationary outlets and mobile vans.
