Onion Price: To provide relief to the general public, cheap onions will be available at NAFED and NCCF. Onion sales will begin through 90 mobile vans and over 200 outlets. Onions are being supplied rapidly by both road and rail.

Cheap onions will be delivered to every household through 203 outlets and 90 mobile vans.

Onion Supply via Kanda Express: To prevent onion prices from rising before the festival season begins, the government has begun releasing onions from its buffer stock. Onions are being transported to major cities across the country by both train and road. The first Kanda Express from Nashik is scheduled to arrive in Delhi. To provide relief to the public, onions will be sold at a rate of ₹35 per kg.

Onions will be available at Rs 35 per kg

The government's cheap onions will be sold through NCCF and NAFED stores and mobile vans. Additionally, onions will be available at Safal and Central Warehouse outlets. 90 NCCF outlets and 40 mobile vans, 13 NAFED outlets and 50 mobile vans have been deployed. Nearly 100 Central Warehouse outlets are also involved in this effort.

Kanda Express reaching Delhi from Nashik

The Kanda Express transports onions directly from farming areas to major cities. In 2024-25, approximately 12,000 metric tons of onions were transported to five cities via 14 rakes. In 2025-26, approximately 88,000 metric tons of onions were transported to 16 cities via 86 rakes. Now, this fiscal year, the first Kanda Express has departed from Nashik for New Delhi.

Onions are also being sent by road.

Onions are being shipped by road, along with trains. They are being delivered to Chennai, Kolkata, Ernakulam, Guwahati, Varanasi, Lucknow , Patna, Chandigarh, Jammu, and Amritsar. The amount of onions to be shipped will be determined based on market prices and demand.

Target to purchase 2 lakh tonnes of onion for buffer stock

The government has set a target of purchasing 2 lakh tonnes of Rabi onion for the year 2026-27. Procurement began on May 15, 2026, through NAFED and NCCF. To date, approximately 1.21 lakh tonnes of onion has been procured. For the first time, the Central Warehousing Corporation has been given the responsibility of storing onions. This will help in better storage of onions and prevent them from spoiling.

Onion production in the country is good.

According to the government, onion production is estimated to be approximately 30.737 million tons in 2025-26. Last year's production was approximately 30.767 million tons. Approximately 38.2 million tons of onions were also exported between April and June 2026. Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the UAE, and Nepal were the major buyers.

Why does the demand for onion increase during festivals?

Demand for onions increases during festivals like Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Dussehra, and Diwali. This is followed by the wedding season. This can put pressure on onion supply, leading to higher prices. Therefore, the government is releasing onions from buffer stocks into the market to prevent a sharp increase in prices.

The average price of onion on August 26 was Rs 37.87 per kg.

On August 26, 2026, the average retail price of onion in the country was ₹37.87 per kg. On the same day, the average price of tomatoes was ₹38.33 per kg, potatoes ₹22.63 per kg, gram dal ₹86.71 per kg, flour ₹40.48 per kg, toor dal ₹123.30 per kg, and milk ₹60.82 per liter. According to the government, prices of tomatoes, potatoes, and gram dal are lower than last year.

Price data is collected daily from 579 centres.

The Consumer Affairs Department collects daily prices of 41 essential commodities from 579 centers across the country, including onions. These data, combined with the arrival of onions in the markets and market demand, are used to determine how much onion to withdraw from the buffer stock and which cities to send it to. The government says that onion prices and supply are being continuously monitored. If necessary, onions will be released from the buffer stock into the market in the future.