New Delhi : Approximately 840 metric tonnes (MT) of onions procured by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) under the Department of Consumer Affairs' price stabilisation fund arrived today at Delhi's Kishanganj Railway Station for distribution across Delhi-NCR.
This marks the second bulk transportation of onions by train to Delhi-NCR, following the delivery of 1,600 MT of onions to Kishanganj Station on October 20, 2024, via the Kanda Express. The majority of these onions will be released at Azadpur Mandi to boost market supply, while a portion will be allocated for retail sales at Rs 35 per kilogram.
For the first time, bulk onion transportation by rail rake has been adopted to ensure timely, reliable, and cost-effective delivery across regions. NAFED previously transported 840 MT of onions by rail rake from Nashik, which reached Chennai on October 26, 2024. Another rail rake left Nashik early this morning, carrying 840 MT of NCCF-procured onions bound for Guwahati. These bulk rail shipments complement the ongoing truck-based transportation of onions nationwide.
The government procured 4.7 lakh tonnes of rabi onions for the price stabilisation buffer this year, initiating releases on September 5, 2024, with retail sales priced at Rs 35 per kg and bulk sales in major mandis across the country.
To date, over 1.40 lakh tonnes of buffer onions have been dispatched from Nashik and other sources to consumer centres via road transport. Currently, NCCF has serviced 104 destinations across 22 states, while NAFED has covered 52 destinations in 16 states for onion distribution.
The agencies have partnered with retail chains such as SAFAL, Kendriya Bhandar, and Reliance Retail to distribute onions to consumers at Rs 35 per kg. Additionally, 86,500 MT of onions have been allocated to nine state governments and cooperative societies for retail distribution.
Since the onset of onion distribution, retail prices have stabilised significantly in major states, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi. Nationwide average retail prices remained largely steady throughout October.
The rail shipment to Guwahati is expected to improve availability in northeastern states, likely easing regional prices and positively impacting the all-India average. Meanwhile, mandi prices in Nashik have declined from a peak of Rs 47 per kg on September 24 to Rs 40 per kg as of October 29, 2024.