GPS, ex-Army personnel, FPCs with storage: How Nafed aims to ensure transparency in onion procurement

PACS are the village-level cooperative societies which, among other things, act as a vital link for credit dispersal for the farmers.

Agarwal said societies with centralised facilities, which have to be covered by 24x 7 CCTV cameras and back up, would be selected for the bidding process. He said the country’s apex cooperative body has also decided to employ former armed forces personnel who would be part of flying squads, and conduct checks at centres in and around the Nashik district of Maharashtra.

Agarwal said trucks which transport onions would be tagged with GPS devices to track them. “Payment would be made once the quantity specified is delivered by the agency,” he added.

Onion procurement by Nafed for the creation of buffer stock for the 2023-24 Rabi season was marred by various controversies, with the managing director of Goa Cooperative Marketing Federation also being arrested.

In response to an RTI application by The Indian Express, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs stated that 12 complaints were received by it about the procurement. Nafed is authorised by the ministry to procure onions directly from the farmers. The Centre maintains buffer stocks of onion to help farmers sell their produce at a higher price as well as allow the government to have stock to stabilise prices for consumers at the retail market.

Nafed is made up of grass root level cooperative bodies, especially the buying and selling societies. Allowing business to its members is the main aim of this body. Through Nafed, the Centre affects the procurement of agricultural commodities like oilseeds, pulses, onions, etc. The work is given to the sub agencies who in turn ask their member organisations to effect the ground level procurement.

Onion farmers in Maharashtra have complained about the low prices their bulbs are fetching in the wholesale markets. It is expected that the buffer stock creation would help farmers get a better price.