The Centre will begin the calibrated release of its onion buffer stock from September in a bid to maintain price stability, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution announced on Friday.
The government has procured 3 lakh tonnes of onions this year under its price stabilisation buffer. Officials noted that unlike previous years, the prices of essential vegetables—particularly potatoes, onions, and tomatoes—have remained under control during the current monsoon season, thanks to higher production levels in 2024–25 compared to the previous year.
“Food commodity prices have largely remained stable and well-contained throughout the current calendar year,” the ministry said. “Most commodities monitored by the Department of Consumer Affairs are showing either a stable or declining trend on a year-on-year basis. The reported 14% decrease in the cost of a homemade thali in July 2025 reflects the continued moderation of food inflation.”
The ministry added that the spike in tomato prices in Delhi was a temporary result of heavy rainfall in northern and north-western India since late July, rather than any long-term supply issue. Tomato prices, which rose to ₹85 per kg at the end of July, have since begun to ease as daily supplies to Delhi’s Azadpur mandi recover.
To mitigate short-term price volatility, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) began procuring tomatoes from Azadpur Mandi on August 4 and is selling them with minimal margins at various outlets and through mobile vans across Delhi. So far, the NCCF has sold over 27,000 kg of tomatoes at retail prices ranging from ₹47 to ₹60 per kg.
Currently, tomatoes are retailing in Delhi at an average price of ₹73 per kg, while in cities like Chennai and Mumbai, which were unaffected by recent rainfall, the prices remain significantly lower at ₹50 and ₹58 per kg, respectively. The all-India average retail price of tomatoes now stands at ₹52 per kg—lower than ₹54 per kg in 2024 and significantly below ₹136 per kg in 2023.