Sale of onion at ₹35 per kg through fair price shops launched in Tamil Nadu

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Venkataramanan and Cooperation Minister V. Gandhirajan launch onion sale in Chennai on Thursday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

In a bid to bring down the price of onion in the open market, the sale of onion at ₹ 35 per kg through fair price shops was launched in Chennai and other cities across Tamil Nadu on Thursday (September 3, 2026).

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Venkataramanan and Cooperation Minister V. Gandhirajan launched the sale in Chennai. Around 1,000 tonnes of onion harvested in the Rabi season was recovered from Nasik.

Onion requirements include being Grade A, good commercial quality, non rotting, no excessive sprouting and 45mm or more in size.

PS District Collector Leela Alex started the sale #onion at ₹ 35 per kg in the ration shop #Vellore on Thursday.

Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy (@venkathin) pic.twitter.com/pdoN0icjSU

— The Hindu – Chennai (@THChennai) September 3, 2026

They were acquired by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF) as directed by the Government of India and brought to Chennai also by freight train and road. Sources said more rail cargo is expected to arrive soon.

Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said the government should take steps to make onions available in the remotest corners of the state. “Rice and sugar prices are also causing concern. The festival season is about to begin. The government must take effective measures to reduce retail price inflation,” he said.

Published – 03 Sep 2026 16:34 IST