Kanda Express to Bring Onions to Kolkata on Sept 24

• Kanda Express to reach Kolkata on September 24.
• 1,400 MT onions already distributed in West Bengal.
• Buffer onions sold at ₹35 per kg through mobile vans.
• Prices stable or lower in 17 States/UTs last week.

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 23rd Sept: The Kanda Express, carrying onions from the Government’s Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) buffer stock, is scheduled to reach Kolkata on September 24, with the consignment aimed at strengthening supplies and moderating seasonal price pressures ahead of the festive season.

Around 1,400 metric tonnes (MT) of onions have already been distributed in West Bengal through NAFED and NCCF mobile vans at ₹35 per kg, primarily through road transport.

With the arrival of Kanda Express, the government plans to move additional quantities more efficiently to Kolkata and adjoining districts, focusing on markets where increased availability can have an impact on retail prices.

Retail sales in Kolkata are currently being conducted at more than 25 locations, including Koley Market, Mechua Mandi, Maniktala Market, Rampuria Market and Shyam Bazar Market.

The government is also exploring retail sales of buffer-stock onions through Sufal Bangla, which could provide consumers with additional points of access.

Buffer stock reaches over 100 cities
The Kolkata-bound Kanda Express is part of the government’s wider strategy of releasing onions from the PSF buffer stock through a hybrid rail-and-road transportation network.

Targeted disposal of buffer-stock onions through NAFED and NCCF began on August 24, 2026, with supplies being moved to different markets based on regional requirements.

So far, buffer-stock onions have been supplied to more than 100 cities across the country.

The government said the increased availability has begun easing price pressures in several markets. During the past week, retail onion prices remained stable or declined in 17 States and Union Territories.

Prices declined during the period in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Bihar, among other states.

The government is continuing to monitor onion availability and prices across major consuming markets and will undertake further calibrated releases from the buffer stock according to local requirements, including during the upcoming festive season.