Onion prices will come down soon: KV Thomas

Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority asked to explore storage of onions during rabi crop

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof. K.V.Thomas today said onion prices will come down within the next ten days with the arrival of new crop and imported stock.

Addressing the foundation day celebrations of Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) here, Prof. Thomas said that he had discussed the supply situations with Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka Governments and very soon arrival of onions will improve.

Expressing concern over increased prices inspite of good production, the Minister said that the State Governments have been asked to take stern action against hoarders.

 

He said that to avoid such situation in future, the Government would chalk out the strategy to facilitate storage of onions during lean season to ensure its adequate availability. WDRA has been asked to explore storage of onions during Rabi Crop for this purpose.

Prof. Thomas was confident that the warehousing and cold chain activities will grow faster in coming days and modern storage technologies will play an important role in these sectors.

He said that modern warehousing is the need of the hour. He further emphasized on the importance of negotiable warehouse receipt and appealed to the farmers, warehouse managers, Banks and other stakeholders to make it success.

The warehouses and cold storages which meet the standards of storage prescribed by the authority and issue the NWRs are registered by the authority. Scientific storage of agricultural and horticultural commodities in warehouses and cold storages and the system of NWR is beneficial to the agriculturist growers of horticultural crop, warehousemen and the banks.

The authority has notified 115 agricultural and 26 horticultural commodities for the issuance of NWRs.

With a view to popularize the benefits of negotiable warehouse receipts among farmers and to encourage the warehouse managers of registered warehouses of the central warehousing corporation, state warehousing corporations and private warehouses to issue more and more NWRs, the authority has started a scheme of awarding the farmers, the warehouse managers and the banks.