Commendable step! Onions for just Rs 35 per kg! But, you will get only 2 kgs - Here is how

It's really a commendable step by Telangana government! The state government has decided to sell onions at Rs 35 per kilo at the government-run 'Rythu Bazaars' here in the wake of a sharp rise in the price of the edible bulb in the open market.

The subsidised sale beginning today would be available at 11 Rythu Bazaars, a market where small farmers can sell vegetables directly to consumers, in the state capital, an official press release said.

Two kilos of onions would be sold per person and the consumers have to show any identity card, the release said.

The sale of the vegetable has been taken up without any profit motive, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy was quoted as saying in the release.

Earlier, as per a statement by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, "Government has on 14.09.2020 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. While the rate at which retail prices increase had been moderated to some extent, recent incidences of heavy rainfall in onion growing districts of Maharashtra, Karnataka 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."

Moreover, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said, "The government 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 calibrated manner from second half of September 2020 to major mandis, to retail supplier such as Safal, Kendriya Bhandar & NCCF and also to State Governments. More will be done in the coming days."

Further, to facilitate import of onion, the government has, on 21.10.2020, relaxed the conditions for fumigation and additional declaration on Phytosanitary Certificate under the Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 for import upto December 15, 2020.