New Delhi: In view of rising tomato prices, the central government has started preparations to control onion prices. Actually, in the current financial year, the government has bought 20 percent more i.e. a total of 3 lakh tonnes of onions for ‘Buffer Stock’. Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Singh said on Sunday that the government is working with the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) to keep onions safe for longer.
In the financial year 2022-23, the government kept 2.51 lakh tonnes of onions for buffer stock. The buffer stock is maintained under the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to keep prices under control during the season of short supply.
Onion will not be expensive during the festive season
Singh said, “To deal with any situation in the festive season, the government has bought 3 lakh tonnes of onions this year, increasing the buffer stock drastically. There is no shortage of onions.”
Bought onion from the recently ended rabi season
The onion procured for buffer stock is from the recently concluded rabi season. Presently, the sowing of Kharif onion is going on and its arrival starts in October. The secretary said, “Usually, onion prices remain under pressure in the retail market for 20 days or till the arrival of the Kharif crop in the market. But this time there will be no such problem.
Tested with BARC to keep safe
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is also testing technology for the preservation of onions with the Department of Atomic Energy and BARC. Rohit Singh said, “On an experimental basis, we are using gamma radiation from Cobalt-60 to preserve 150 tonnes of onions in Lasalgaon, Maharashtra. With this, onions can be kept safe for a long time.
The average retail price of onion is Rs 26.79 per kg
According to government data, the average retail price of onion at the all-India level on July 15 was Rs 26.79 per kg. Its maximum price was Rs 65 and the minimum was Rs 10 per kg.
