The government will run ‘Kanda Express’ onion-carrying trains from Nashik to Delhi, Chennai, Kochi and Guwahati from Monday to bring down onion prices in regions where rates have surged above the national average. The move comes as the average retail price of onions reached Rs 42 per kg on Saturday, 45 per cent higher than last year and 19 per cent above the previous month.
These trains will ferry onions from Nashik, the major production zone of the country, to markets where onion prices have spiked.
The government is releasing stocks from its buffer and making them available at controlled prices to reduce the burden on consumers, preventing potential hoarding and unfair trade practices by traders.
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Onion Prices Surge Across Cities
Data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs indicated that onion prices have shot up to Rs 65 per kg in Delhi from Rs 35 per kg during the same period last year, and to Rs 58 per kg in Chennai from Rs 33 last year. Price hike has also been witnessed in some areas of Kerala and Assam.
This is not the first time the government has used the ‘Kanda Express’ to control onion prices. A similar initiative was launched in October 2024 to transport onions from Nashik to Delhi and other parts of the country.
Market experts attribute the latest price rise partly to an expected 5-7 per cent decline in Maharashtra’s Kharif onion production. NAFED and NCCF have procured around 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions as buffer stock for the current financial year.