The Department of Consumer Affairs has decided to commence the release of stocks from the onion buffer of 3.00 lakh metric tonne created in 2023.
Key points
- The Government has been maintaining onion buffer under the Price Stabilisation Fund to check the volatility in prices of onion.
- The annual buffers have been built by procuring onions from rabi harvest for release in major consumption centres during the lean season.
- The government has been maintaining an onion buffer to check the volatility in onion prices. The annual buffer has been built by procuring onions from rabi harvest for release in major consumption centres during the lean season.
- There are two harvesting seasons, with rabi accounting for 65% of India’s total onion output. Rabi onion is harvested in April-June and is stored until the Kharif variety is harvested in October-November to meet the demand of consumers.
- Maharashtra has a share of 43% of the country’s entire onion production, followed by Madhya Pradesh’s 15%, Karnataka’s 9% and Gujarat’s 9% contribution.
- This year, irradiation of onion had also been taken up on a pilot basis in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) with the objective of minimizing storage loss. About 1,000 tonnes had been irradiated and stored in controlled atmosphere storage.
