Indian government to roll out 'Kanda Express' amid onion surge
Onion prices are spiking across India, so the government is rolling out a special train (Kanda Express) from Monday.
This move comes after reports of a decline of 5% to 7% in the kharif onion output in Maharashtra, pushing average prices up to ₹42/kg, a steep 45% jump from last year.
Government begins Nasik shipments, buffer release
In cities like Delhi and Chennai, onions now cost as much as ₹65/kg and ₹58/kg, nearly double last year's rates.
The Kanda Express will ship onions from Nasik to these high-price cities to help cool things down.
To further stabilize prices, the government is releasing 120,000 metric tons of buffer stock and has upped procurement rates for farmers.
Officials also suspect some traders might be hiking prices on purpose, but reassure there's enough supply for now, even with sugar getting pricier too.