Times News Networknew Delhi: Govt raises onion buffer stock limit by 2 lakh tonnes | India News

NEW DELHI: A day after imposing 40% export duty on onions, the government on Sunday increased the buffer stock limit from 3 lakh tonnes to 5 lakh tonnes for this financial year, which can be used for market intervention to cool down prices.
The consumer affairs ministry also announced to sell onions at Rs 25 a kg in areas where the retail price is above the national average price. The government-owned cooperative, National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF), will start providing onion at this subsidised rate from Monday. Around 10 mobile vans will be deployed in Delhi and more areas will be covered gradually.
The NCCF also plans to sell onion online via Open Network for Digital Commerce platform for which modalities are being worked out. The government has identified Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Assam for market intervention. The availability is being enhanced in these states by disposing of onion from the buffer stock both in the wholesale and retail markets.
As per the official data, all-India average retail price of onion has increased by 19% to Rs 30 per kg on Sunday compared to last year’s Rs 25 a kilo. In Delhi, retail price of onion has increased to Rs 37 per kg from Rs 28 per kg in the same period.