The Centre enhanced the buffer stock of onions from three lakh metric tonnes to 5 lakh metric tonnes.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Centre enhanced the buffer stock of onions from three lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to 5 LMT on Sunday. The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) will promote onions at retail worth of ₹ 25 per kilogram from Monday.
The Centre, on Saturday, imposed 40% responsibility on export of onions. “The measures taken by the Government such as procurement for the buffer, targeted release of stocks and imposition of export duty will benefit farmers and consumers by assuring remunerative prices to onion farmers while ensuring continuous availability to consumers at affordable prices.” the Union Consumer Affairs Department stated in a launch.
The Department termed the transfer to improve the shares as unprecedented and stated it has directed NCCF and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED) to procure one lakh tonne every to obtain the extra procurement goal alongside calibrated disposal of the procured shares in main consumption centres.
“Disposal of onions from the buffer has commenced, targeting major markets in States and union territories where retail prices are above the all-India average and/or are significantly higher than the previous month. As on date, about 1,400 MT of onions from the buffer have been dispatched to the targeted markets and are being continuously released to augment the availability,” the Centre added.
The launch added that aside from releasing in main markets, onions from the buffer are additionally being made available to retail shoppers at a subsidised fee of ₹25 per kilogram by shops and cellular vans of NCCF from Monday. “Retail sale of onion will be suitably enhanced in coming days by involving other agencies and e-commerce platforms,” it stated.
