Tamil Nadu Cooperative Consumer Federation cancels onion order over quality issues
The TNCCF cancelled an order for 400 metric tonnes of onions after inspections found rotten and undersized produce.
The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Consumer Federation (TNCCF) cancelled an order for 400 metric tonnes of onions on October 31, 2026, after an inspection found the produce failed to meet quality standards, according to reports by The Hindu and Urban Acres.
The order, placed at a rate of Rs 29 per kg, required the onions to meet 'A' grade specifications and a minimum diameter of 45 mm. An inspection at the Korukkupet railway goods shed found that between 20 per cent and 26 per cent of the onions were rotten, sprouted, or affected by fungus, while 50.2 per cent did not meet the minimum size requirement.
The TNCCF clarified that the 400 tonnes of spoilt onions at the Korukkupet terminal belonged to the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and were not onions procured by the cooperatives department.
The onions were intended for distribution through cooperative supermarkets and 8,914 fair price shops as part of a market intervention programme launched on September 3 by Cooperatives Minister V Gandhiraj to control retail prices.
The department has procured a total of 2,498 metric tonnes of onions through NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) across three phases, with 2,380.32 metric tonnes sold so far.
The government stated it will continue procuring and distributing only quality produce and will now focus on sourcing onions that meet the specified grade and size requirements.