Govt to release onion from buffer stock in calibrated manner

The government has said that it has built up onion buffer stock from the Rabi onion - 2020.  

In order to moderate prices, onion from the buffer stock is being released in a calibrated manner from second half of September to major mandis, to retail supplier such as Safal, Kendriya Bhandar & NCCF and also to State Governments.

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in a statement said that more will be done in the coming days.

Last month the government  took a pre-emptive measure by announcing a ban on onion export to ensure availability to domestic consumers at reasonable rates during the lean season before the Kharif onion arrival.

The statement said, while the rate at which retail prices increase had been



moderated to some extent, recent instances of heavy rain fall in the major growing districts of Maharashtra, Karntaka and Madhya Pradesh had caused damage to standing Kharif crop, stored onion and seed nurseries.

These developments on the weather front have resulted in sharp increase in onion prices.

The Ministry said, to facilitate the import of onion, the government has relaxed the conditions for fumigation and additional declaration on Phytosanitary Certificate under the Plant Quarantine Order  for import upto  15th of December this year.

The Ministry also said that an estimated Kharif Crop of 37 lakh Metric Tonnes is also likely to start arriving in the Mandis that will give reprieve to the rising prices.