The Centre’s plan to send onions from Nashik to Delhi on special “Kanda Express” trains has faced major problems. Four of the five planned trains were cancelled, while the remaining train was delayed by about 26 hours. Only 450 metric tonnes of onions were finally sent instead of the planned 840 tonnes.
The move comes as onion prices have nearly doubled, rising from around Rs 35 to Rs 70 per kg in 15 days. The government wanted to use buffer stocks bought by NAFED and NCCF to supply cheaper onions to consumers.
Poor quality of stored onions
An India Today ground report from Lasalgaon found that much of the stored stock had spoiled.
At a CWC warehouse, workers were sorting the onions and separating usable produce from rotten ones. Only around one-third of the baskets appeared to contain onions that could still be used. Some onions had already rotted, while powder had been applied to slow further damage.
The onions loaded onto the train were also reportedly small and may not have met the required quality standards.
Farmer protests onion quality
Farmer Ganesh Nimbalkar stopped the train before it left Lasalgaon, questioning the quality of the onions being sent to Delhi.
He alleged that some onions were only 10–20 mm in size and included rotten produce. He demanded that officials show the onions publicly and prove that they were suitable for consumers.
He also argued that better-quality onions of around 45 mm were available from farmers and questioned why those were not being sent.
Only 450 MT dispatched
The original target was to send 840 metric tonnes to Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar, but only 450 metric tonnes were eventually loaded.
The train was delayed by nearly 26 hours as workers had to clean, grade and pack the onions before loading them.
The cancellations and delay have raised concerns about whether the system is properly prepared to transport the government’s buffer stocks.
Questions over procurement standards
NAFED and NCCF have been buying onions for buffer stocks for several years. Their procurement rules reportedly require onions to be at least 45 mm in size.
Farmers and others at the warehouse questioned whether the stored onions actually met these standards.
The situation has therefore raised concerns about how the onions were procured and stored, and whether the government’s plan to use buffer stocks to reduce prices can work effectively if a large portion of the stock has already deteriorated.
