Onion prices are steadily rising. Despite the government's buffer system, prices haven't improved; they remain at a market price of ₹70 per kg.

The price of onion is still stuck at Rs 70 per kg.

People have been experiencing a period of inflation for some time now. Following the rise in sugar prices, onion prices also skyrocketed. To control this, the government even introduced a buffer system. However, it proved to be of no use; even now, people have not received any relief from the rising onion prices.

To provide relief from this inflation, the government is selling onions from its buffer stock to the public at a rate of ₹35 per kg. Despite this, in many parts of the country, people are forced to buy onions in the market for up to ₹60-70 per kg.

The government is selling onions at Rs. 35 per kg.
The government has onions stored in buffer stock, but the biggest challenge is how to transport them from production areas to various cities and markets across the country. The government began selling onions from the buffer stock on August 24th. NCCF, NAFED, central warehouses, and mobile vans are being used for this. Onions are being transported from producing states to major consuming cities via the 'Onion Express'.

Why are onions becoming more expensive?
A major reason for the rise in onion prices is the time between the Rabi and Kharif harvests. Typically, during this time, stocks of old Rabi onions gradually deplete, and the new Kharif crop has not fully arrived in the market. This temporarily reduces onion supply, leading to higher prices.

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Is there an onion shortage in the country?
The government maintains that there is no overall onion shortage in the country. Onion production is projected to be 307.37 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, which is almost equal to last year's 307.67 lakh tonnes. The government had set a target of purchasing 2 lakh tonnes of Rabi onion for buffer stock in 2026-27. Of this, approximately 1.21 lakh tonnes of onion has already been purchased.

The procurement price has also been increased from Rs 18.75 to Rs 21.25 per kg to provide better prices to farmers for selling onions for buffer.