CHENNAI: The ‘Onion Express’, carrying 840 metric tonnes of onion from Nashik in Maharashtra, arrived in Chennai on Monday, as part of government’s efforts to stabilise prices. With onion prices currently hovering between Rs 60 and Rs 65 per kg, the state government will sell onions at Rs 35 per kg through select cooperative stores and urban fair price shops. The date for commencing the sale is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The 24-wagon ‘Onion Express’ arrived at the Tondiarpet goods shed around 9.30 am on Monday. The onions will be unloaded and transported to warehouses under the Cooperation and Civil Supplies departments before being distributed through retail outlets.
The arrival of the onion express on Monday marks the second instance of bulk transportation of onions to Chennai facilitated by union government agencies - the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF). The centre had first facilitated the transportation of onions by an onion express to Chennai in October 2024.
Official sources in the food and cooperation departments told TNIE that the CWC acted as the nodal agency for transporting the onions from warehouses of NAFED and NCFF that procure the commodity directly from farmers in Maharashtra. The state government has planned to procure 1,000 MT of onions as an immediate measure to bring down prices.
“NAFED and NCCF procure onions using the price stabilisation fund of the department of consumer affairs under the Union government. Every year, the state government allocates around `60 crore to the cooperation department as a price stabilisation fund to reduce the prices of essential commodities. The cooperation department will reimburse the procurement cost to NAFED and NCCF,” an official said.
The official added that the onions would be sold through 64 farm fresh cooperative stores, cooperative supermarkets and select fair price shops. “The locations where the onions will be sold are being finalised. The other commodities, including rice and sugar, to be sold along with the onions are also being finalised.”
