Nashik: 840 Tonnes Of Onions To Be Dispatched From Lasalgaon To Delhi; Farmers Fear Price Pressure

Nashik: As part of efforts to make onions available to urban consumers at affordable prices, as much as 840 tonnes of onions will be dispatched from Lasalgaon to Adarsh Nagar in Delhi through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF). Twenty-one boxes of onions will be loaded onto a BCN rake at Lasalgaon railway station. With such a large quantity being sent to Delhi, consumers in the national capital are expected to get some relief.

The Central Government has been procuring onions through the NCCF and NAFED and supplying them to major cities across the country to keep onion prices under control. Onions are now being dispatched directly from a major onion market such as Lasalgaon to Delhi.

However, onion growers have expressed concern that while the move may provide relief to consumers, it could also affect farmers’ market prices. If large quantities of onions are released into the market, supply could increase compared with demand. This could put pressure on market prices and make it difficult for farmers to get the rates they expect.

The concern is particularly significant as farmers are already facing rising production costs. Many growers have planned to bring the onions stored in their onion storage sheds to the market in phases. Farmers fear that if government agencies simultaneously send large quantities of onions to urban markets, it could affect prevailing market prices.

With 840 tonnes of onions being dispatched from Lasalgaon to Delhi, onion growers are now watching closely to see how much benefit Delhi consumers receive in terms of prices and to what extent the move affects onion prices in the Lasalgaon market.


“Transparency is essential in the purchase and sale of onions by NAFED and NCCF. If the onions purchased are being sold in Azadpur or other markets instead of reaching consumers, neither farmers nor consumers benefit. The Price Stabilisation Fund scheme appears to be benefiting only a handful of stakeholders. However, farmers should not panic. Since NAFED and NCCF do not have a very large stock of onions remaining, farmers should bring their onions to the market in phases.”
— Jaydatta Holkar, Director, Mumbai APMC