As per the 2nd Advance Estimates on Area and Production of Horticulture Crops brought out by Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DACFW), production of potatoes and onions during 2018-19 are 529.59 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) and 232.84 LMT respectively; as against their respective final estimates of 513.10 LMT and 232.62 LMT for 2017-18. Therefore, availability of these vegetables may not be lower than last year.
As on 10.07.2019, a buffer stock of about 55,741 metric tonnes (MT) of onions has been built under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) for appropriate market intervention to help moderate prices and improve availability of onions during lean season.
This information was given in a written reply by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in the Rajya Sabha today.
