During the festive season, when onion prices are witnessing a temporary increase, the government has taken a new step to control it. The central government has decided to increase the supply of onions so that prices remain stable in the retail market and consumers do not face any problems. Under this step, the government will release more onions from the buffer stock in the market.

What is buffer stock?

Buffer stock means the food material that the government has stored to deal with any crisis or supply disruption in the future. The government says that the prices are rising due to some recent disruptions in the supply of onion. In such a situation, its availability in the market will be ensured by sending onions from the buffer stock.

Preparing to deal with any supply crisis

The price of onion in Delhi and NCR has reached Rs 67 per kg, while the all-India average is Rs 58 per kg. These increased prices are due to the supply disruptions caused by the festive season and the closure of mandis. To solve these problems, the government has decided to increase the supply of onions. NAFED (National Agency for Farmers Enterprises) has sent additional racks to Delhi and Guwahati and has planned to increase the shipment of onions to other states as well.

Supply of onions from cold storage

The government has decided to unload onions from cold storage in areas like Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi. This will not reduce the supply of onions in these states.

Keep an eye on the prices of potatoes and tomatoes

Apart from onions, the government is also paying attention to the prices of potatoes and tomatoes. Tomato prices have fallen in the markets recently, while potato prices have remained stable for the last three months.

It is worth noting that the objective of these steps of the government is to provide relief to consumers from inflation, so that no food crisis situation arises during the festive season. The government is trying to control onion prices by making additional supply from buffer stock and through other measures.