Tamil Nadu launches ₹35/kg onion sale at fair price shops
Tamil Nadu begins selling onions at ₹35/kg via fair price shops to curb open-market prices.
The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday launched the sale of onions at ₹35 per kilogram through fair price shops across the state, aiming to moderate retail prices in the open market. The initiative was inaugurated in Chennai by Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Venkataramanan and Minister for Cooperation V. Gandhirajan.
Around 1,000 tonnes of Rabi-season onions have been procured from Nashik for this purpose. The onions are A-grade, with a minimum size of 45 mm, and are described as being of good marketable quality, free from rotting and excessive sprouting.
The stock was sourced through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) on the directions of the central government. The consignment was transported to Chennai by goods train and road, with another rail load expected to arrive shortly.
Consumer activist T. Sadagopan urged the government to ensure the onions reach the farthest corners of the state. He also expressed concern over rising rice and sugar prices, and called for effective measures to curb retail inflation ahead of the festival season.