The government has raised the onion procurement price under its buffer-stock programme to Rs 16.50 per kg from Rs 15.80 per kg, effective June 13, 2026, the Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister, Pralhad Joshi, said in a post on X. Joshi added that, taking into account prevailing mandi prices and quality requirements for storage-grade onions, the Minimum Assured Procurement Price (MAPP) has been revised to Rs 1,650 per quintal from the same date.
Joshi said the pricing methodology has been refined to make procurement more responsive to market conditions. He chaired a meeting with officials from the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) to strengthen onion procurement and secure better returns for farmers. The buffer stocks are maintained annually under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) for market intervention purposes.
The Centre has set a procurement target of 2 lakh tonnes for the year, down from 3 lakh tonnes procured in 2025–26. The government had earlier raised the procurement price to Rs 15.80 per kg from Rs 12.70 per kg; the latest increase is positioned as a further market-aligned adjustment. Official data put onion output at 307.37 lakh tonnes in 2025–26, marginally below 307.67 lakh tonnes in 2024–25.
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reiterated that agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and said the government’s priorities include enhancing farmers’ incomes, improving their standard of living, and making farming easier while ensuring nutrition security for the public. He highlighted measures to address falling prices in crops such as potato, onion and tomato, citing international factors as a cause.
Chouhan noted the utility of the Management Information System (MIS) to transfer payments directly to farmers for the difference between model rates and market prices, with costs shared equally by the Centre and state governments. He also announced a transport subsidy for state agencies that choose to move farmers’ produce from production areas to major cities, aimed at reducing losses and improving market access. IANS
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/06/12/govt-hikes-onion-procurement-rate-to-rs-16-5-per-kg-from-saturday/
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Publish Date: 2026-06-12 20:55:00
