About 1,341 tonnes of onion arrived in Delhi from Nashik on a special goods train, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, told ANI.
These onions were directly taken from the farms to the nearest railway network available, reducing transport time and costs.
“Farmers are benefiting from this,” he said. At the same time, the railways’ spokesperson said that the availability of onions at this large scale would also be a win-win situation for Indian consumers.
Onions have got citizens teary-eyed as the prices have surged across the markets in several cities, leaving customers in distress.
Another Onion Express of similar quantity is ready and is expected to reach Delhi in the next two days, he told ANI.Earlier, such Onion Express trains have also reached Guwahati and Chennai to cater to the needs of the consumers.India has removed the minimum export price imposed on onions in September, months ahead of Assembly polls in Maharashtra, the largest grower of the staple vegetable.
Initially, India had in early December 2023 prohibited the export of onions till March 2024. Later, it restricted the export until further orders.
Rabi onion harvested during April-June accounts for 65 per cent of India’s onion production and meets the consumer’s demand till the Kharif crop is harvested in October-November.
Buffer stock is maintained by the government and its agencies to meet any exigencies and for price stabilisation if rates go up significantly during the lean supply season.