Union Food Minister K. V. Thomas on Thursday asked the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed), the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation and Kendriya Bhandar to sell onion at Rs 22-23 a kg in the national capital from February 1.
“I instructed Nafed, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar to bring down the rate of subsidised onion vendored by them to consumers in the national capital to Rs 22—23 a kg from February 1,” Mr. Thomas told PTI.
“The rate will be further reviewed as the situation improves with the time,” he added.
The meeting attended by senior officials of premier agri—cooperative Nafed, NCCF and the Consumer Affairs Ministry discussed the latest situation of the onion crisis precipitated by shooting of rates of onion to Rs 70—85 a kg in Delhi and other cities around December 21.
Mr. Thomas said “no decision was taken on resumption of onion export till the situation comes under complete control“.
After initially suspending the onion export till January 10, the government had banned overseas shipments to indefinite period to rein in high prices.
Nafed and 12 other agencies regulate onion exports.
Meanwhile, NHRDF (National Horticultural Research Development Foundation) which publishes daily rates of essentials like onion, garlic and potato in prominent cities, said that the wholesale rate of onion came down to Rs 14/kg in Lasalgaon and Rs 12 per kg in Pimpalgaon markets in the Nashik district of Maharashtra.
The wholesale rate of the root vegetable was Rs 4—17 per kg in Azadpur (Asia’s biggest wholesale fruits & vegetables market), general secretary of Onion Merchants Association, Rajendra Sharma said.
