India Allows Onion Export To Five Nations Despite Ban
(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Apr 4 (KNN) India, the world's largest exporter of onions, has permitted limited exports of the vegetable to a few countries following diplomatic requests.
However, the overall ban on overseas onion shipments will continue due to projections of lower domestic output for two consecutive years.
The government has allowed exports of 50,000 tonnes to Bangladesh, 550 tonnes to Bhutan, 3,000 tonnes to Bahrain, 1,200 tonnes to Mauritius, and 14,400 tonnes to the UAE.
An official stated to HT that these nations traditionally rely on India for part of their onion supplies and some are immediate neighbours, hence the priority.
India's rabi (winter-grown) onion production for 2023-24 is estimated at 19.3 million tonnes, around 18 per cent lower than the previous season's 23.6 million tonnes.
Rabi onions contribute 72-75 per cent of India's annual output and are crucial for year-round availability due to their longer shelf life compared to kharif (summer) onions.
To build an emergency reserve of 500,000 tonnes for 2024-25, the government has started procuring onions from farmers at market rates from April 1.
The buffer stock will be used to stabilise supplies and prices. Last year, around 600,000 tonnes were procured and sold at subsidised rates to control soaring prices.
Onion is a highly volatile commodity in India due to its widespread use in cuisine and consumer sensitivity to price fluctuations.
The export ban in December 2023 followed a domestic supply crunch after a 40 per cent export tax failed to cool spiking prices.
(KNN Bureau)
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