Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi launches retail sale of onions at Rs 24 through mobile vans
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says that various direct interventions through price stabilisation measures have played an important role in bringing down the inflation rate in recent months.
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Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi said that keeping food inflation under control was a priority of the Government. (File Photo)Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi launched the retail sale of onions at Rs 24 per kg on Thursday by flagging off mobile vans deployed by cooperative bodies to sell the vegetables under a government effort to make them available at affordable prices.
Joshi said that keeping food inflation under control was a priority of the Government, adding that various direct interventions through price stabilisation measures had played an important role in bringing down the inflation rate in recent months.
“The general retail inflation for July 2025 at 1.55 per cent, lowest in nearly eight years, is attributed to a substantial decline in food inflation. The calibrated and targeted disposal of onions from the buffer is an integral part of the government’s efforts to control food inflation and maintain a stable price regime,” the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in a statement.
The statement said the targeted disposal of onions was being started in Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, with retail sales through outlets and mobile vans of the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), and Kendriya Bhandar, and also through distribution partners of NAFED and the NCCF.
“The coverage will be widened, deepened, intensified, and diversified across the country as per the trend in onion prices,” the statement added.
As per the data available with the Department of Consumer Affairs, the all-India average retail price of onion was recorded at Rs 28.4 per kg on Wednesday, which is 5.26 per cent higher than Rs 26.98 per kg a month ago. However, in Delhi, the average retail price of onions was recorded at Rs 33 per kg on Wednesday.
Daily monitoring of 38 commodities
As per the statement, the Department of Consumer Affairs is monitoring the daily prices of 38 commodities, including onion, reported from 574 centres across the country. The daily price data and the comparative trends constitute key inputs for decisions on the quantum and destinations for release of onions from the buffer.
According to the statement, “Onion production in this year is estimated at 307.71 lakh tonnes, which is about 27 per cent higher than the previous year. No duty or restrictions are imposed on the export of onion, and the pace of export is steady with 1.06 lakh tonnes in July and 1.09 lakh tonnes exported in August 2025,” the statement read.
Considering the availability and price scenario, the Government procured 3.00 lakh tonnes of onion for the price stabilisation buffer through the NCCF and NAFED, according to the statement. The onions were procured from farmers or farmers’ federations in major rabi onion-producing areas in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, and payments have been made through direct transfers to the farmers’ accounts.
“An integrated system for monitoring of procurement, storage, and disposal has been adopted in onion operation this year by deploying technology capturing activities across all the stages of operations,” it added.
The statement further said, “In order to ensure transparency in onion procurement, genuineness of farmers and their land records have been verified through e-mahabhumi, the official portal of the Maharashtra Government. Payments to farmers are made through their Adhaar-seeded bank accounts.”
To ensure quantity and quality, regular visits are undertaken by the officers from the Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Food & Public Distribution, and the National Test House to verify the stock of onions in storage warehouses, the statement said.
“Payments to farmers are made for quantities moved to chawls and duly verified,” it said.
Retail disposal of onions started in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare and other senior officers of the ministry were also present on the occasion.
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