The first ‘Kanda Express’ carrying 800 tonnes of onion will reach the national capital on Wednesday, and the key vegetable item will be sold at a subsidised rate of ₹ 35 per kg, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Tuesday.
The stock is being released to check price rise. Bulk onions are also being transported through dedicated railway rakes to four other centres — Chennai , Ernakulam, Madurai and Guwahati, she added. The onion being transported to these consuming centres is a buffer stock maintained at Nasik, Maharashtra .
Data maintained by the ministry shows the all-India average retail price of onion rose 59 per cent year-on-year to ₹ 43.53/kg on August 24, from ₹ 27.37/kg a year ago. The average wholesale price was up 68 per cent at ₹ 35.58/kg, against ₹ 21.23/kg in the year-ago period. In 2024-25, 14 railway rakes carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of onion buffer stock were dispatched to five cities. In 2025-26, this has expanded to 86 rakes carrying about 88,000 tonnes of onions to 16 major cities across the country.
The onion will be retailed via Nafed, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar stores in the national capital , Khare said on a social media platform.
Government’s Onion Buffer Stock Strategy for Price Stability
The Centre’s onion buffer stock serves as a strategic reserve aimed at stabilizing market prices during supply shortages. This reserve is primarily designed to prevent price spikes that can occur when onion supplies tighten. To achieve this, the government maintains onion stocks across various producing states under the Price Stabilisation Fund scheme.
