Mumbai: Onions from the buffer stock will be made available to retail consumers at a subsidized rate of ₹25 per kg through retail outlets and mobile vans of the (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India) NCCF from Monday, the government said.
The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) is already selling tomatoes on behalf of the central government at a subsidized rate and it has now been mandated to retail buffer onion.
For the fiscal year 2023–2024, the government has built up a buffer stock of 3 lakh tonnes of onions. Additionally, it has chosen to purchase an extra 2 lakh tonnes of onions for the buffer this year.
“To begin with, we will start retailing buffer onions in Delhi. We will sell at a subsidized rate of Rs 25 per kg through our mobile vans and two retail outlets,” NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra told PTI.
In the nation’s capital, around 10 mobile vans will be sent out on Monday, and further locations will be gradually covered. The national capital’s two NCCF retail locations, situated at Nehru Place and Okhla, will also offer the product, according to the spokesperson.
According to her, NCCF is figuring out the modalities for selling onions online using the ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) platform.
Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Assam have been chosen by the government for market intervention. By eliminating buffer onion from the wholesale and retail sectors, availability is increased in these five states. In retail marketplaces, buffer onions are sold at a discounted rate of Rs 25 per kg, whereas they are offered at mandi rates in wholesale markets. Retail sales will start in Delhi on Monday, while they would start two days later in the other four states, she added.
According to government data, the average retail price of onions throughout all of India rose by 19% on Sunday to Rs 29.73 per kg from Rs 25 per kg in the same period last year. Retail onion prices in Delhi have climbed from Rs 28 per kg to Rs 37 per kg during the same time period.
In Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, NCCF has been selling tomatoes for a reduced price for the past month. When costs in the retail market were over Rs 250 per kilogram, it first went on sale for Rs 90 per kg. The subsidized fee has been decreased to Rs 40 per kilogram as a result of the better arrivals.
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