Subsidised Sales Aim To Cool Prices
New Delhi, September 6, 2026: The government has sold around 4,000 tonnes of buffer onions across 17 cities during the first ten days of a subsidised retail intervention aimed at controlling rising onion prices, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said.
The Centre is holding a buffer stock of around 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions for 2026 through agencies including NCCF and Nafed. The stored onions are being transported from producing states to major consuming centres through trucks and dedicated railway rakes known as the “Kanda Express”.
The government is selling the onions at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg in selected price-sensitive markets. Bulk consignments have already reached Delhi and Chennai, while another railway rake is being prepared for Guwahati.
NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra said the agency alone has sold around 1,500 tonnes of buffer onions across different cities. Retail sales are being conducted through NCCF stores, mobile vans, cooperative societies and other platforms identified by state governments.
The intervention is currently underway across Delhi-NCR, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha and other regions. The Central Warehousing Corporation is responsible for sorting, grading, packing and transporting the buffer stock.
Officials said the subsidised sales have contributed to a Rs 2-3 per kg decline in some markets. However, all-India average retail onion prices remained elevated, standing at Rs 50.79 per kg on the latest reported date.
On September 5, onion prices were around Rs 58 per kg in Delhi, Rs 53 in Mumbai, Rs 63 in Chennai and Rs 40 in Ranchi, while the average wholesale price was Rs 42.79 per kg.
The government expects the arrival of the new kharif onion crop from mid-October to improve supplies and provide further relief to consumers.
