April 26 (Punjab Khabarnama) : There is good news for the farmers cultivating onion. The central government has relaxed the export ban on white onion. The government has approved foreign shipment of white onion from three ports in the country. The government relaxed export restrictions and allowed export of up to 2,000 tonnes of white onion from three ports.
Approval for export of white onion up to 2,000 tonnes
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification that the exporter will have to obtain a certificate from the Horticulture Commissioner of Gujarat government regarding the content and quantity of white onion to be exported. It said, with immediate effect, export of up to 2,000 tonnes of white onion has been approved through specified ports.
White onion will be exported from these ports
The names of some ports have been decided by the government for the export of white onion. According to the DGFT notification, this export is permitted from Mundra Port, Pipavav Port and Nhava Sheva/JNPT Port.
There is a general ban on export of onion, a politically sensitive commodity. However, the Government allows export of specified quantities to friendly nations upon their request. DGFT is a unit of the Commerce Ministry. It sets norms related to import and export. On December 8 last year, the government had banned the export of onions to increase domestic availability and keep prices under control.
