No more tears: Customers can now buy subsidised onion at Rs 19/kg in Delhi-NCR

The National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF) has initiated subsidised retail sale of onions at Rs 19 per kg in Delhi-NCR region due to rising prices. The subsidised rate is well below the prevailing market price of Rs 25-35 per kg.

The authority would carry out onion sales through mobile vans operating across the Delhi-NCR region at 16 locations, including INA Market, R K Puram, Model Town, and Shalimar Bagh.

Citizens can also buy onion at NCCF's retail store located at Nehru Place and outlets across major metro stations like Udyog Bhawan, Rajeev Chowk and Patel Chowk, the cooperative said in a statement.


NCCF is selling onions sourced from Nashik, Maharashtra, which was stored in controlled-atmosphere (CA) cold storage using a newly developed irradiation technology recommended by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The new technology has been piloted to reduce storage losses and stabilise supply around the year.

"After four months of storage at the CA cold store, the Grade A rabi onions, pink in colour and known for their sweeter taste compared to the red Kharif variety, remain intact in quality," NCCF Chairman Vishal Singh said, as quoted by PTI.

NCCF is selling subsidizes onions on behalf of the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry under an initiative that aims to protect consumers from soaring prices while ensuring farmers receive fair returns.

Earlier, the cooperative took a similar initiative for tomatoes by retailing the key food ingredient at Rs 40 per kg during the ongoing market price was ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg. The price hike prior to the market intervention was causing a major drain on consumers' pockets, NCCF Managing Director Anice Joseph Chandra said.

The cooperative is further planning to sell various food products under its brand 'Janah', sourced from farmers' enterprises, of high quality, and available at affordable prices to consumers.