Centre steps in, sends onion from Nashik to TN to keep price stable during monsoon season
Retail onion prices currently range between Rs 30 and Rs 35 per kg in Tamil Nadu markets.
The piled up stock of onions at a market
CHENNAI: Consumers in Tamil Nadu will not have to shed tears over rising onion prices during the northeast monsoon season, as the Union Government will be offering them at a subsidised Rs 21 per kg. The initiative, through the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), is part of the Centre’s Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) scheme.
Retail onion prices currently range between Rs 30 and Rs 35 per kg in Tamil Nadu markets. At present, the NCCF's mobile vans and outlets in Chennai and other districts are selling onions at Rs 24 per kg. The subsidised onions are sourced directly from farmers in Nashik, Maharashtra, and brought to Tamil Nadu in truckloads. The first consignment has already arrived, with quality-graded onions being distributed across the State.
Launching the programme, NCCF Chennai branch manager Bejoy T John flagged off 15 mobile vans from Koyambedu to distribute onions in the city. Officials said the scheme would be expanded statewide in the coming days, ensuring availability in key urban and semi-urban centres.
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, MoS BL Verma, and NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra are overseeing the rollout.
According to the department officials, the initiative is part of the Centre's wider effort to stabilise retail prices of perishable commodities and prevent inflationary pressures. "The scheme is designed to protect consumer interests during the northeast monsoon season, when price spikes are frequent," said an official.
