NAFED selling onions at ₹35 per kg to help consumers

The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has begun selling onions at ₹35 per kilogram through vans in and around the city.

An official of the Federation said around 120 tonnes of onions were being sold daily to help reduce the rate of the vegetable, which is being sold at ₹55-₹75 per kilogram in the retail market. “We are targeting residential areas and crowded markets to help more people benefit from this exercise. Ten vehicles are in operation daily,” Sudhir Kumar Singh, State head, NAFED, said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Co-operation has also been selling tomatoes and onions through the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Marketing Federation (TANFED), cooperative stores, farm fresh outlets, and a section of fair price shops. “Compared to the previous week, the prices of onions have reduced considerably due to various interventions by the government. If there is a need for more intervention, we will procure onions directly from the Nasik market and tomatoes from wholesale markets,” J. Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Food and Co-operation, said.

Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said average households consume around 2.5 kilograms of onions and tomatoes each per week.

“If the money goes to the farmer, the consumers will be happy. But in this case, the middlemen seem to be hoarding and selling these vegetables at exorbitant prices,” he said, adding that the government should take steps to prevent hoarding.