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 (September 6, 2026).
“The distribution of buffer onions has brought some relief to consumers. Prices have fallen slightly,” Ms. NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra said the federation alone has sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onion so far. “So far, we have sold 1,500 tonnes of buffer onions in different cities across the country. The focus is on retail and selling at ₹35 per kg,” she said. The subsidised sale has led to a ₹2-3 per kg fall in prices, according to Chandra.
Khare said, adding that the quality of the government’s buffer stock was comparable in size and quality to what private traders were selling. Several State governments have shown interest in the scheme, she said, with NCCF tying up with a few States to sell through its stores, mobile vans, cooperative societies and other platforms identified by local administrations.
Officials said 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.
