COMMODITY
Onion prices likely to moderate further as kharif crop arrivals pick up: Govt
Oct-08-2026

The government is expecting retail onion prices to moderate further as Kharif crops have started arriving in markets, supplementing supplies from stocks held from the rabi (winter-sown) season. The Food Ministry said the government is closely monitoring onion availability and prices. In addition, the Centre is offloading onions from its buffer stocks at discounted rates to provide relief to consumers. Meanwhile, the all-India average retail price of onion currently stands at Rs 53.78 per kg. Onion production is estimated at 307.37 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, broadly in line with 307.67 lakh tonnes recorded in the previous year.

The ministry said the supply situation has been improving, resulting in a broad-based moderation in onion prices across mandis and major consumer markets. It said arrivals from producing regions are expected to increase further in the coming weeks, which would improve overall availability in consuming markets during the upcoming festive season.

On the offloading of buffer stocks, the Centre said it has so far disposed of more than two lakh quintals through eight Kanda Express trains and 467 trucks across 123 cities. The government said it is maintaining close oversight of arrivals, stocks and price movements and will take necessary steps to facilitate orderly distribution and ensure adequate availability wherever required.

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