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Despite a sharp spike in prices, the government was not considering a ban on onion exports as there was no supply constraint because of adequate production and stocks, consumer affair secretary Nidhi Khare said on Thursday.
Robust Kharif Sowing
“There are sufficient stocks and sowing in the current kharif season has been adequate, thus banning of exports does not arise,” Khare said, adding that some traders in Nashik, the hub of the country’s wholesale trade, were trying to manipulate the market to push up prices.
In terms of exports, India has exported 0.53 million tonne (MT) of onions in FY27 so far to mostly Malaysia, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates and Nepal , against 0.61 MT during the same period in 2025-26. Shipment of onions to UAE and other Gulf countries was hit because of the West Asia crisis.
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Overall shipment of onion has been 1.54 MT and 1.14 MT in 2025-26 and 2024-25 respectively.
During the 2025-26 crop year (June-July) is estimated at 30.73 million tonnes (MT), against 30.76 MT in the previous year, indicating that there is currently little concern over supplies.
“The kharif sowing in the current season has been robust, and the new harvest is expected to arrive in the market by next month further easing the prices,” Khare said.
According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, the average retail price of onions rose to Rs 46.58/kg on Thursday, up 64% from a year earlier. Retail prices have risen by more than 33% over the past month, while prices in Delhi-NCR have crossed Rs 60/kg.
Govt Offloads Buffer Stocks
The agencies including Nafed, NCCF and Kendriay Bhandar on Thursday began retail sale of onions from its buffer stock in the national capital at Rs 35/kg, offering consumers a 44% discount to the prevailing market price of Rs 62/kg, as part of efforts to provide relief to consumers and contain prices ahead of the festive season.
The release of onions from the buffer will take place through a hybrid model of transportation comprising railway rakes and road transport, enabling movement of onions to major consumption centres.
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The first Kanda Express this season has left Nashik and is expected to reach Delhi later on Friday. Simultaneously, supplies from the buffer are being moved through road transport to other major consumption centres, namely Chennai, Kolkata, Ernakulam, Guwahati, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna, Chandigarh, Jammu and Amritsar.
Farmers’ cooperatives NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India have so far procured around 0.12 MT of onions for the current fiscal year’s buffer stock. The agencies had procured 0.3 MT and 0.47 MT in FY26 and FY25, respectively.
Khare said while 0.12 MT of onion has been purchased as buffer this season, about 8800 tonne of onion after deducing the moisture loss or at a 72% recovery rate would be offloaded in the market to curb rise in prices.
TOPICSexportOnionThis article was first uploaded on August twenty-eight, twenty twenty-six, at fifteen minutes past one in the night. © The Indian Express (P) Ltd