Another fresh shipment of 720 metric tonnes (MT) of onions is about to reach Delhi by tomorrow, November 21, Centre said. In the last one month, four shipments of 4,010 tonnes of onions have already been transported to the capital for retail sale at Rs 35 per kg.

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The arrival of onions in bulk shipments had a significant impact on onion prices in Delhi, both at mandi and retail, according to an official statement.

Bulk shipments of onions to other cities

Besides Delhi, bulk shipments of onions have also been sent to Chennai and Guwahati recently. On October 23, 2024, 840 MT of onion had been dispatched from Nashik by rail rake which arrived at Chennai on 26th October 2024.

A shipment of 840 MT onion by rail rake arrived at Changsari Station in Guwahati on November 5, 2024, which was distributed in various districts of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and other NE States. Another shipment of 840 MT by rail rake to Guwahati, Assam is planned for this week. Bulk shipment to Guwahati will augment the availability of onions in the NE Region and stabilise the onion prices in the region. Further, one more shipment of 840 MT by rail rake to Amausi, Lucknow is expected in another 2/3 days, with the start of loading tomorrow.

The government will also release onions from Sonipat cold storage to cater to Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Delhi.

Of the 4.7 lakh tonnes of buffer stock maintained this year, the government has already disposed of 1.50 lakh tonnes.

The government has decided to upscale the onion disposal in order to address temporary constraints in onion supply observed in certain markets in the past 2/3 days owing to festival season and the closure of mandis.

A look at onion production this year

According to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, the actual kharif sown area this year was 3.82 lakh hectares, which is 34 per cent higher than the 2.85 lakh hectare sown the previous year. Sowing progress for late Kharif onion is also reported to be normal, with coverage of 1.28 lakh hectares through the first week of November. More kharif onions arriving in the markets along with increased disposal of buffer stocks and also good sowing progress of late kharif will ensure availability of onions to the consumers at affordable prices.