With onion prices soaring to Rs 60-70 per kg, the Centre has stepped in to ease the pressure on consumers by releasing buffer stocks and restarting the ‘Kanda Express’— a rail service transporting onions from Nashik to major consumption centres.The move comes amid sluggish arrival of the kharif crop and supply-chain bottlenecks ahead of the festive season, even as the country produced 307.37 lakh tonnes of onions this year, higher than its annual domestic requirement of 204 lakh tonnes.Experts say the main problem is not shortage, but heavy losses caused by unseasonal rain and the rotting of onions during storage. “Normally, 25 per cent of onions are lost every year. This year, the damage is estimated to have risen to 35 to 40 per cent because of heavy moisture,” said agriculture expert Vinay Kumar.Kumar, who heads a farmer producer organisation in UP, said farmers in some regions were unable to recover their production cost and had to sell onions for just Rs 2 to Rs 4 per kg. Growers in Maharashtra were forced to sell onions for as little as Re 1 per kg. On the other hand, consumers in Delhi are paying up to Rs 70 per kg for the kitchen staple.Experts say the government’s current measures may offer temporary relief. The rail initiative has grown from transporting 14 rakes with 12,000 tonnes in 2024-25 to 86 rakes carrying 88,000 tonnes this year. However, better forecasting, stable export policies, improved storage, timely procurement, and mechanisms to protect farmers from both price crashes and shortages could have eased the crisis.Talking to The Tribune, agricultural economist Ashok Gulati said: “Senior officials and the ministry concerned should be held responsible for the mess they have created by not implementing stronger preventive measures. This crisis is the result of a troubling policy cycle.”At Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, supply has been sluggish for the past 10 days. Citing supply shortage and fear of further hike in onion prices, Ashish, a wholesale onion trader, said: “We hope a steady supply from Maharashtra will increase the availability of onion in the Delhi market and ease some pressure on prices. However, we are not very optimistic at the moment,” said.According to traders, onion prices have increased by about Rs 2 to Rs 4 per kg over the past two weeks. Besides, the transportation cost of bringing onions from Maharashtra to Delhi is approximately Rs 5 per kg.Wholesale traders further flagged persistent said supply shortage despite arrival of onion stock from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. “Crop from the May stock is still being sold in the market,” Ashish said.Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati said sugar and onion prices should be monitored daily as any abnormal pattern can have grave consequences. He further said that the government’s heavy control of the sugar sector had taken it 30 years back. “The country’s milk industry is devoid of such trouble because it is run by the direct engagement between farmers, cooperatives and consumers,” he added.