The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has implemented a calibrated market intervention to ensure adequate availability of onions at affordable prices. As part of this intervention, buffer onions are being sold at a fixed price of ₹35 per kg through retail outlets and mobile distribution points across Delhi-NCR. This measure responds to prevailing market conditions and aims to improve consumer access, moderate price pressures, and maintain adequate market quantities.
The government's Kanda Express initiative has significantly strengthened logistics capabilities for moving buffer onions from producing regions to major consumption centers. During the 2024-25 period, nearly 12,000 metric tons of buffer onions were transported using 14 railway rakes to five cities. The initiative expanded substantially in 2025-26, with 86 railway rakes transporting approximately 88,000 metric tons of onions to 16 cities across the country.
For the current intervention, onions are being moved through both rail and road networks. The Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) has been integrated into the mechanism to support scientific storage and efficient distribution of buffer onions. The intervention was formally launched with Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ms. Nidhi Khare, flagging off mobile vans from NCCF and NAFED from Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, marking the start of retail sales of onions through government buffer stocks at the subsidized rate.