New Delhi, India – The government has sold about 4,000 tonnes of buffer onions across 17 cities in the first 10 days of a subsidised sale aimed at curbing soaring prices, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Sunday. The Centre, through its agencies NCCF and Nafed, is sitting on a buffer stock of 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions for 2026. These agencies are transporting the stored onions in bulk from producing States to consuming centres, either by a dedicated rail rake christened “Kanda Express” or by trucks, as part of a retail intervention aimed at cooling prices. Onions are being sold at a subsidised rate of ₹35 per kg in select price-sensitive cities.
“Approximately 4,000 tonnes of buffer onion have been sold so far in 17 cities,” Ms. Khare told PTI. Bulk consignments have already reached Delhi and Chennai via the Kanda Express, and a third rake is now being loaded for dispatch to Guwahati. The distribution has brought some relief to consumers, with prices falling slightly. NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra said the federation alone has sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onion so far, with the focus on retail at ₹35 per kg. Several State governments have shown interest, with NCCF tying up with a few States to sell through its stores, mobile vans, and cooperative societies.
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The subsidised sale has led to a ₹2-3 per kg fall in prices, though the average all-India retail price stood at ₹50.79 per kg, compared with ₹48.50 per kg when the sale was launched on August 28. Officials noted that the outlook for the new kharif onion crop looks promising, and its arrival in the market from mid-October is expected to ease supply pressure and bring further relief on prices.
