New Delhi, April 24 -- The consumer affairs ministry has firmed up a plan to store onions at 90 locations across the country, so the produce can be quickly offloaded in markets when prices are high.

The plan is part of the government's onion procurement set to start next week, two people said.

Private players will also be included for storage, and a tender will be floated shortly to finalize the agencies.

India maintains buffer stocks to stabilize prices of the kitchen essential, prone to volatility since about a quarter of the produce is lost post-harvest. Currently, stocks are ained at warehouses run by national agricultural cooperatives.

Onion prices have posed a headache for governments over the years, with the matter often figuri...