September 5, 2025
NEW DELHI – Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Thursday launched the retail sale of onions at Rs 24 per kg by flagging off mobile vans of NCCF, NAFED and Kendriya Bhandar here.
The event marked the commencement of calibrated and targeted release of onions from the government buffer to make the essential vegetable available to consumers at affordable prices.
Joshi said that keeping food inflation under control is a priority of the government and various direct interventions through price stabilisation measures have played an important role in bringing down the inflation rate in recent months.
The general retail inflation for July 2025 at 1.55%, the lowest in nearly eight years, is attributed to a substantial decline in food inflation. The calibrated and targeted disposal of onions from the buffer is an integral part of the government’s efforts to control food inflation and maintain a stable price regime.
The targeted disposal of onions is being started in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad today with retail sale through outlets and mobile vans of NCCF, NAFED and Kendriya Bhandar, and also through distribution partners of NAFED and NCCF.
The coverage will be widened, deepened, intensified and diversified across the country as per the trend in onion prices. The Department is monitoring the daily prices of 38 commodities, including onion, reported from 574 centres across the country. The daily price data and the comparative trends constitute key inputs for decisions on the quantum and destinations for release of onions from the buffer.
Onion production this year is estimated at 307.71 lakh tonnes, which is about 27% higher than the previous year. No duty or restrictions are imposed on the export of onions and the pace of export is steady with 1.06 lakh tonnes in July and 1.09 lakh tonnes exported in August 2025.
Considering the availability and price scenario, the government procured 3.00 lakh tonnes of onions for price stabilisation buffer through NCCF and NAFED.
The onions were procured from farmers/farmer’s federations in major rabi onion producing areas in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, and payments for the onions have been made through direct transfer to the farmers’ accounts.
An integrated system for monitoring of procurement, storage and disposal has been adopted in onion operation this year by deploying technology capturing activities across all the stages of operations.
In order to ensure transparency in onion procurement, the genuineness of farmers and their land records have been verified through e-mahabhumi, the official portal of the Maharashtra government. Payments to farmers are made through their Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.
To ensure quantity and quality, regular visits are undertaken by the officers from the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Department of Food & Public Distribution and the National Test House to verify the stock of onions in storage warehouses. Payments to farmers are made for quantities that have been moved to chawls and duly