Tamil Nadu Ration Shops to Sell Onions at Rs 35/kg From September 3

The Tamil Nadu government will sell onions at Rs 35 per kg through urban ration shops from September 3, benefiting around 80 lakh urban ration card holders.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Venkataramanan said the government will procure 1,000 metric tonnes of onions through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation and the National Cooperative Consumers` Federation of India.

The move comes as onion prices in Tamil Nadu have increased to around Rs 56-Rs 60 per kg, mainly due to higher transportation costs and reduced supplies from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the second Kanda Express carrying 840 tonnes of onions from the Centre`s buffer stock reached Chennai on August 31. The onions will be distributed across various districts to improve supply and control seasonal price increases.

The Centre has maintained 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions in its buffer stock this year. Additional supplies through rail and road transport are expected to help stabilise onion prices across Tamil Nadu.