Tamil Nadu Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P. Venkataramanan on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) told the Assembly that, in view of the rise in onion prices, the State government has decided to procure 1,000 metric tonnes of onions in the first phase and distribute them to ration card holders in urban areas through fair price shops at ₹35 per kg.

Mr. Venkataramanan said the increase in onion prices was owing to a shortage in supply due to weather conditions in major onion-producing States such as Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. He said onions were currently being sold at ₹56 to ₹60 per kg in the open market.

In view of this, keeping the welfare of various sections of society in mind and with the objective of controlling the price rise, the State government will procure 1,000 metric tonnes of onions in the first phase through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), and distribute one kg for each ration card holder at the rate of ₹35 per kg through cooperative wholesale godowns, Amudham outlets and fair price shops located in urban areas, he said.

In the first phase, onions will be sold through 8,730 fair price shops located in urban areas, covering around 80 lakh families. Further, based on demand, steps will be taken to procure and supply additional quantity of onions, he said.

The Minister also said the State government has been closely monitoring price fluctuations of essential commodities. The Price Monitoring Committee held a meeting on July 6, at which it was decided that the committee would meet once every three months. The prices of essential commodities are being monitored on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, he added.