Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi on Thursday flagged off mobile vans of NCCF, NAFED and Kendriya Bhandar to launch the retail sale of onions at Rs 24 per kg. The initiative marks the calibrated release of buffer stocks to make onions available to consumers at affordable prices.
As of today, retail sales are being carried out through a wide network comprising NCCF with 5 own outlets, 19 partner outlets and 12 mobile vans in Delhi and Mumbai; NAFED with 12 own outlets and 30 mobile vans across Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad; and Kendriya Bhandar with 108 own outlets and 2 mobile vans in Delhi-NCR.
Joshi said that controlling food inflation remains a top priority for the Government of India. Retail inflation eased to 1.55% in July 2025, the lowest in nearly eight years, mainly due to a sharp fall in food prices. He stressed that buffer disposal of onions is an important part of the government’s efforts to maintain price stability.
The initial retail operations have begun in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, with plans to expand coverage nationwide depending on price trends. The Department of Consumer Affairs is monitoring daily prices of 38 essential commodities, including onion, from 574 centres across the country to guide further releases.
India’s onion production this year is estimated at 307.71 lakh tonnes, 27% higher than last year. Despite steady exports of over 2.15 lakh tonnes in July–August, the government has secured 3 lakh tonnes of onions for the price stabilisation buffer. Procurement was done directly from farmers in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, with payments made through Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts after land verification.
To ensure transparency and quality, a new integrated digital monitoring system has been introduced.
For the first time, NAFED is using a dedicated billing application integrated with Track and Trace software, enabling van operators to generate bills, verify beneficiary identity, send SMS confirmations, and collect consumer feedback. A toll-free helpline has also been launched for grievance redressal.
The government said the retail network of NCCF, NAFED and Kendriya Bhandar will play a crucial role in stabilising onion prices and providing much-needed relief to consumers.