New Delhi The government has procured 20 per cent more onion at 3 lakh tonnes as buffer stock this year, while also piloting irradiation of onion with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to increase shelf life, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Sunday.

In the 2022-23 fiscal, the government had maintained 2.51 lakh tonnes of onion as buffer stock. The buffer stock is maintained under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to meet any exigencies, if rates go up significantly during the lean supply season. "To meet any eventuality in the festival season, the government this year developed a robust buffer to an extent of 3 lakh tonnes. There is no problem with onions," Singh told PTI. Onion that is procured for the buffer stock is from the just completed rabi season. Presently, the kharif onion sowing is underway and its arrival begins in October.

The Secretary said, "Usually, onion prices in the retail markets come under pressure for 20 days or so till the fresh kharif crop hits the market. But this time, there won't be a problem." Meanwhile, the Consumer Affairs Ministry is also trying a technology for storage of onions with the Department of Atomic Energy and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. "On a pilot basis, we are experimenting with onion irradiation of 150 tonnes with gamma radiation from Cobalt-60 at Lasalgaon in Maharashtra.