Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Government Sells 4,000 Tonnes of Onions Across 17 Cities
The government is selling stored onions cheaply because onion prices have become high.
The onions cost ₹35 per kilogram at selected places.
About 4,000 tonnes have been sold in 17 cities in 10 days.
Government agencies are moving the onions by trucks and special trains.
One train is called the Kanda Express.
Officials say the sales have lowered prices slightly in some places.
However, the average price across India was higher than when the scheme started.
Officials expect new onions to arrive from October and improve supplies.
The government sold about 4,000 tonnes of buffer onions in 17 cities during the first 10 days of subsidised sales.
Onions are being sold at ₹35 per kilogram through government agencies and state-linked retail channels.
The Centre has a 1.21 lakh-tonne onion buffer stock for 2026, managed through NCCF and Nafed.
NCCF said it has sold 1,500 tonnes, while consignments are being moved by trucks and the Kanda Express rail service.
Officials said prices had fallen by ₹2-3 per kilogram in some areas, although the all-India average retail price rose from ₹48.50 to ₹50.79 per kilogram after the sale began.
- Who
- The Centre, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, NCCF, Nafed, the Central Warehousing Corporation and participating state governments.
- What
- A subsidised retail sale of government-held buffer onions has reached about 4,000 tonnes across 17 cities.
- When
- The sales were reported on September 6, 2026, after the programme’s launch on August 28 and its first 10 days of operation.
- Where
- The intervention is underway in Delhi-NCR, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha and other areas; consignments have reached Delhi and Chennai, with Guwahati next.
- Why
- The government is trying to curb sharply rising onion prices and relieve supply pressure until the new kharif crop arrives.
Government and Agency View
Price Data and Supply Concerns
Effect on prices
Government and Agency View
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said distribution had brought some relief, while NCCF said subsidised sales reduced prices by ₹2-3 per kilogram.
Price Data and Supply Concerns
Department of Consumer Affairs data showed the all-India average retail price increased from ₹48.50 per kilogram at the launch to ₹50.79 per kilogram afterward.
Reason for the intervention
Government and Agency View
The government says its retail intervention is intended to cool prices by making buffer onions available at ₹35 per kilogram in price-sensitive cities.
Price Data and Supply Concerns
The reported city prices remained above the subsidised rate, including ₹58 per kilogram in Delhi, ₹53 in Mumbai and ₹63 in Chennai on September 5.
Supply outlook
Government and Agency View
Officials said the new kharif crop outlook is promising and expected arrivals from mid-October should provide further relief.
Price Data and Supply Concerns
The rabi crop suffered some harvesting damage from untimely rains, contributing to supply pressure before the next crop arrives.
- Quantity sold
- About 4,000 tonnes across 17 cities in the first 10 days
- Subsidised price
- ₹35 per kilogram
- Buffer stock
- 1.21 lakh tonnes held for 2026
- NCCF sales
- 1,500 tonnes sold by NCCF
- Average retail price
- ₹50.79 per kilogram, compared with ₹48.50 per kilogram when sales began
- Reported city prices on September 5
- ₹58 per kilogram in Delhi, ₹53 in Mumbai, ₹63 in Chennai and ₹40 in Ranchi
- Expected supply improvement
- The new kharif onion crop is expected to arrive from mid-October
