After tomato, government to sell onion at subsidised rate from tomorrow
NEW DELHI,AUG 20 : The Centre on Sunday said that the onions would be sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 25/kg from Monday, through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), as it enhanced the onion buffer stock from 300,000 metric tonnes to 500,000 metric tonnes.
This move is aimed at keeping onion prices in check until the arrival of the new crop in October.
According to an official statement, onions from the government’s buffer stock will be made available to retail consumers through outlets and mobile vans of NCCF from Monday.
The government has stockpiled 3 lakh tonnes of onions within the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to address any unforeseen spikes in prices during the period of low supply.
Retail sale of onions will be suitably enhanced in the coming days by involving e-commerce platforms, the statement said.
The consumer affairs department, on Sunday, instructed both NCCF and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) to procure an additional 100,000 tonnes of onions each.
According to government data, the cost of onions has begun to exhibit a slight increase. As of August 10, the all-India retail price for this essential kitchen commodity stood at Rs 27.90 per kilogram, representing a rise of just over Rs 2 per kilogram compared to the same period last year.
-PTI
