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Onions (Photo: Shutterstock)
The Centre today expressed hope that onion availability would improve in the coming months due to a nearly 49 per cent jump in the kharif sowing area.
This would help in cooling down the prices.
Meanwhile, the government said in a statement that, as per data compiled by the Department of Agriculture, till August 26, 290,000 hectares have been covered under kharif onion as against 194,000 hectares during the corresponding period last year.
Moreover, around 3.8 million tonnes of onions are in the storage of farmers and traders.
It also said that price realisation by onion farmers during the just-concluded rabi season has been better compared to last year as mandi prices remained in the range of Rs 1,230 – Rs 2,578 per quintal as compared to Rs 693 – Rs 1,205 per quintal last year.
Similarly, the average buffer procurement price this year was Rs 2,833 per quintal as against Rs 1,724 per quintal last year.
As store-worthy onions are procured for the buffer, the procurement prices of onions have always been higher than the prevailing modal price.
On the retail sales, the official statement said that NCCF and NAFED, which are maintaining a buffer stock of 0.47 tonnes of onion on behalf of the government, will undertake the retail sale through their stores and mobile vans.
Onion will be sold at 38 retail points in Delhi-NCR and at Parel and Malad in Mumbai.
The onion will also be sold at a subsidised rate on e-commerce platforms and outlets of Kendriya Bhandar and Mother Dairy’s SAFAL in major consumption areas.
Currently, retail prices of onion are ruling over Rs 60 per kg, depending on the quality and locality in the national capital.
In the coming days, more cities will be covered under the cheap onion sale.
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First Published: Sep 05 2024 | 8:03 PM IST
