The Union Government has decided to ban the export of all varieties of onions with immediate effect, a move aimed at increasing availability and curbing prices of the commodity in the domestic market.
Onion exports from the country had increased considerably during the coronavirus pandemic, due to which domestic prices increased and supply decreased within the country.”The export of all varieties of onions is prohibited with immediate effect,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.The DGFT, an arm of the commerce ministry, deals with exports and imports-related issues. The provisions under transitional arrangement shall not be applicable under this notification.
In the national capital, onion prices were ruling at around Rs 40 per kilogram. Wholesale price inflation for onion stood at (-) 34.48 percent in August.Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat are major onion producing states.
It may be noted that 40 percent of the country’s total onion crop is produced in the kharif season and the rest during the Rabi season. The kharif crop, however, cannot be stored.
