Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
| Photo Credit:
Amid rising onion prices, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday asked the ICAR to find a solution to reduce the gap between farm-gate and retail prices. In an apparent reference to artificial price inflation by traders, he wondered how onion prices were rising now when farmers had already sold their produce.Addressing the annual conference of vice-chancellors of agricultural universities, Chouhan said: “Consider how to reduce the price gap between what farmers receive and what consumers pay... the issue is also important from the perspective of farming.”Referring to the presence of farmers from Maharashtra, India’s largest onion-producing state, he said: “They have already sold their onions. We (the government) had to purchase so that they did not have to sell at Rs 5–6 a kg. We purchased onions under the market intervention scheme (MIS) at Rs 15–20 a kg. Now when farmers do not have stock, how come onion prices have surged?”Up 130% in 3 monthAccording to Consumer Affairs Ministry data, the all-India modal price of onions was Rs 50/kg on Tuesday. In Punjab, a major onion-consuming state, the average price was Rs 53/kg on August 25, up by 42 per cent from a month earlier and by 130 per cent over the past three months. In Delhi, another big consumption center, the modal price was Rs 55/kg, up by 22 per cent in a month and by 83 per cent in three months.Among other major cities, onion prices were Rs 60 per kg in Chennai (compared to Rs 35 per kg a year ago), Rs 60 per kg in Kolkata (vs Rs 32), and Rs 48 per kg in Mumbai (vs Rs 32).Addressing the annual Rabi conference in 2024, Chouhan had announced an official-level committee to suggest ways to reduce the price gap between what farmers receive and what consumers pay for horticulture products. Although the official committee was supposed to study and suggest whether the gap could be bridged to benefit both farmers and consumers, its fate remains unknown.Govt to sell at Rs 35/kgOn the other hand, the government has reportedly decided to sell onions at Rs 35 per kg in the national capital of Delhi once 800 tonnes arrive on Wednesday via the first ‘Kanda Express’ from the buffer stock maintained in Nashik, Maharashtra, according to an agency report. Quoting Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, the report said that onions will be sold directly to consumers through stores and mobile vans of NAFED, NCCF, and Kendriya Bhandar in Delhi.Bulk onions are also being transported through dedicated railway rakes to four other centers—Chennai, Ernakulam, Madurai, and Guwahati—to check price rise, Khare said on a social media platform. A buffer stock of about 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions has been maintained for 2026.In 2024–25, 14 railway rakes carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of onion buffer stock were dispatched to five cities. In 2025–26, this expanded to 86 rakes carrying about 88,000 tonnes of onions to 16 major cities across the country.Meanwhile, Chouhan also appealed to the vice chancellors to interact more warmly with students in informal ways, adhering to the traditional Guru-Shishya (teacher-disciple) ethos. He suggested that they occasionally have lunch with students. Performing students could be publicly acknowledged by name in gatherings to keep them motivated, he said.Chouhan also asked the ICAR to ensure that no agricultural universities are allowed to run without farmland. He questioned how students of agriculture could learn without practical exposure, noting that classroom teaching alone is insufficient. He added that the ICAR should evaluate university performance based on the tangible changes brought to farmers’ lives through their initiatives.Published on August 25, 2026
