The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has launched a market intervention programme to make onions more affordable for ordinary shoppers. Under this initiative, onions from government buffer stocks are being sold at Rs 35 per kilogramme through retail outlets and mobile vans across Delhi-NCR. The move is intended to moderate retail prices and ensure steady supply in the market.
How the scheme works
The government has activated its buffer onion stocks to support price stability. Onions are being distributed at Rs 35 per kg through two channels: fixed retail outlets and mobile vans operated by NCCF and NAFED, which are being deployed across Delhi-NCR.
To move onions from producing regions to consumption centres efficiently, the government is using the Kanda Express initiative. This mechanism combines rail and road transport networks. During 2024-25, approximately 12,000 tonnes of buffer onions were transported using 14 railway rakes to five cities. The programme expanded significantly in 2025-26, when 86 railway rakes moved around 88,000 tonnes of onions to 16 cities across India.
The Central Warehousing Corporation has also been brought into the distribution mechanism to manage scientific storage and ensure orderly distribution of buffer stock onions.
What this means for you
If you live in Delhi-NCR, you can now buy onions at Rs 35 per kg from government-run retail points and mobile vans instead of paying whatever the open market is charging. This gives consumers an affordable alternative when market prices are high. The programme aims to bring down overall retail prices by increasing the supply available in the market and showing that government onions are available at a fixed, reasonable rate. If you are in other cities where the buffer stock distribution is active, similar benefits may apply.