The government has increased the onion procurement price under its buffer stock programme by 24.4 per cent to Rs 15.80 per kg, up from Rs 12.70 per kg, citing prevailing market conditions and the need to safeguard farmers’ interests.
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs, Anupam Mishra, at an inter-ministerial briefing on Monday, said, “We increased the procurement price of onion to Rs 15.80 per kg from Rs 12.70 per kg.”ย
Procurement of onions for the current season commenced on May 15, and the revised prices were officially notified on May 22. Buffer stocks are maintained annually under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) with the objective of market intervention.
Govt to procure 2 lakh tonnes of onions
The government has set a procurement target of 2 lakh tonnes for the current year, lower than the 3 lakh tonnes procured during the 2025โ26 season, indicating a reduction of 1 lakh tonnes in the procurement.
On the pulses front, Mishra said buffer stocks surged to a record 43 lakh tonnes in May, more than doubling from 18 lakh tonnes a year ago and significantly exceeding the 21 lakh tonnes held in May 2024.
Under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), activated when mandi prices fall below the Minimum Support Price (MSP), the government has procured 5.34 lakh tonnes of tur and 20.35 lakh tonnes of chana so far.
Pulse imports declined nearly 30%
Rising domestic production has curtailed import dependence. Pulse imports declined nearly 30 per cent to 60 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 from 73 lakh tonnes the previous year. Chana imports fell sharply, by 51 per cent, from 15.06 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 – even as the free import policy for pulses remains in force.
The inter-ministerial briefing was convened in the context of the recent developments in West Asia and addressed concerns around food and fertiliser security.
Mishra noted that key pulse-supplying nations – Myanmar, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Canada, Australia, and Brazil – are not directly affected by the West Asia situation, limiting supply-side risks.
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