Cooperative stores to sell onions at ₹30 per kilogram to ease price hike

In Chennai, Ten Pannai Pasumai shops & 4 mobile shops have started selling onions at ₹30/kg to bring down prices. The State govt is procuring onions from Nafed at ₹25/kg & adding charges to sell at ₹30/kg. Prices are expected to come down due to onions from Alwar & Nasik. Middle-class families & economically weaker sections are unable to afford high prices.

With onions selling at around ₹80–₹100 a kilogram in some retail stores and online apps, Ten Pannai Pasumai shops in the city and four mobile shops have started selling onions at ₹30 per kg on Sunday.

“This is a market intervention, and we hope it will bring down the prices. Cooperative stores will also sell onions. Shops in other places will soon start selling onions at ₹30,” said K. Gopal, Secretary, Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection Department. The department will focus on slums and areas where low-income groups are concentrated.

The State government is procuring onions from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (Nafed) at ₹25 per kg, adding cleaning, transport, loading/unloading and wastage charges, the cooperatives are able to sell onions at ₹30 per kg.

S.G.S. Natarajan of NRC Onions at Koyambedu, said onion rates were on their way down after climbing up. “Every year before Deepavali, prices go up. This year, Karnataka had faced shortage due to lack of water. Onions from Alwar in Gujarat are on their way. These and onions from Nasik will help bring down onion prices to a reasonable value,” he said.

Mala Maheshwari Saravanan, a homemaker, said she did not buy onions since a kilogram was ₹100. “Last month, it was sold for ₹50. Every month, we use around 5 kg to 6 kg, since we use onions for all three meals. Tomatoes are also priced quite high. Last week, the price was ₹30 a kg, but on Sunday, it was ₹50 per kg. Middle-class families and economically weaker sections cannot afford such high prices,” she said, while adding that she was not aware of cooperative shops selling onions.