The Centre will allow the export of onions from March 15, according to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The move comes in the wake of a bumper harvest that is likely to push down prices of the kitchen staple. The decision has been taken in the interest of farmers, said Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
The export ban had been imposed in September 2019 when prices had rocketed above ₹100 per kg in many parts of the country. Over a quarter of the kharif or summer crop had been destroyed by excess rainfall and flooding in major producing States, resulting in a supply shortage. Prices remained high through much of the winter, leading the Centre to import onions, impose stock limits, and take steps against hoarders and black marketers, apart from banning exports.
However, the rabi or winter harvest has been substantially higher and prices have stabilised. On Monday, onion prices in most retail markets were hovering around ₹30 to 40 per kg, according to data from the National Horticulture Board.
Paswan’s tweet
Last week, in a tweet announcing that the export ban would be lifted, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had said that the expected monthly harvest for March was more than 40 lakh metric tonnes, in comparison to 28.4 lakh metric tonnes last year.
