Ten days into the government's discounted onion sale drive to rein in rising prices, close to 4,000 tonnes of buffer onion have already been sold across 17 cities in the country. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare shared the update on Sunday, adding that the central government is holding a total buffer stock of 1.21 lakh tonnes of onion for 2026 through the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), the two agencies tasked with running the price-stabilisation exercise.
Kanda Express moves from Delhi and Chennai towards Guwahati next
The exercise is aimed at moving onion stocked in producing states to bulk consumption centres where prices tend to be more sensitive to short supply. NAFED and NCCF are using a dedicated rail rake called the Kanda Express along with trucks to ferry the stock quickly from warehouses to markets. In select price-sensitive cities, onion is being sold directly to consumers at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kilogram. Khare said nearly 4,000 tonnes of buffer onion has been sold in 17 cities so far. Consignments carried by the Kanda Express have already reached Delhi and Chennai, and a third consignment is currently being loaded, which will be dispatched to Guwahati in the coming days.
How much relief have prices actually seen
Khare said the distribution of buffer onion has brought consumers some relief and that prices have eased slightly as a result. She clarified that the size and quality of onion released from the government's buffer stock is on par with what private traders are selling in the open market, meaning consumers are not compromising on quality by opting for the subsidised stock. She also explained that the rabi onion crop, which is typically stored through the year for sale in the later months, suffered some damage during harvesting this time because of unseasonal rain, which is part of why prices had climbed in the first place. According to data from the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average retail price of onion across the country stood at Rs 50.79 per kilogram, compared with Rs 48.50 per kilogram on August 28, when the subsidised sale scheme was first launched.
NCCF alone has sold 1,500 tonnes
NCCF Managing Director Anees Joseph Chandra said the agency alone has sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onion so far. "So far we have sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onion in various cities across the country," she said. She added that NCCF's focus remains squarely on retail sales, with onion being priced at Rs 35 per kilogram for ordinary buyers rather than bulk traders. The overall push is being seen as an attempt to keep a lid on onion prices ahead of the festive season, so that the humble kitchen staple does not upset household budgets in cities across the country.
