Centre ropes in Central Warehousing Corp for storage of buffer stock of Nashik onions

Confirming the development, the CWC regional manager for Maharashtra and Goa, Ajay Zadoo, told HT that CWC will hire about 35 warehouses in Nashik for storing the onions

For the first time, the Centre has entrusted the responsibility of storage and dispatch of buffer stock of onions it buys from Nashik farmers to Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU).

The Union government roped in CWC because it has expertise in properly storing various produce. It has been storing materials like cotton, wheat, pulses etc for different government agencies. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has instructed CWC to zero in on the warehouses in Nashik for proper storage of the buffer stock of onions.

Confirming the development, the CWC regional manager for Maharashtra and Goa, Ajay Zadoo, told HT that CWC will hire about 35 warehouses in Nashik for storing the onions.

The CWC senior functionary held a meeting with Nashik traders on Wednesday regarding the hiring of warehouses. He also inspected some of the warehouses in rural Nashik.

The Union government roped in CWC because it has expertise in properly storing various produce. It has been storing materials like cotton, wheat, pulses etc for different government agencies.

Every year, the Centre buys onions from Nashik farmers from May onwards through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and National Cooperatives’ Consumer Federation of India (NCCF) to create a buffer stock.

The creation of the buffer stock is aimed to stabilise the volatile wholesale price and dealing with potential shortages of onions in the country in the later part of the year. So far, the onus of onions has been carried by NAFED and NCCF.

This year, the Centre decided to buy two lakh tonnes of onions from Nashik farmers to create a buffer stock. Each of the two agencies will buy one lakh tonne each.

“This year, after buying the onions, NAFED and NCCF will transport them to the warehouses hired by CWC. We will store it and then dispatch it to other locations in the country as per the instructions of the two agencies,” said Zadoo.

According to him, CWC will hire the warehouses with proper facilities like CCTVs. No outsiders would be allowed inside the warehouses till the time the entire buffer stock is dispatched. The hiring rates of the warehouses would be decided by DoCA.

“We will complete all the formalities for hiring the warehouses before the NAFAD and NCCF start the process of buying the onions from the farmers early next month,” said Zadoo.