May 22 (Punjab Khabarnama) : More than 45,000 tonnes of onion has been exported from the country after the ban on onion export was lifted in early May. A top government official gave this information on Wednesday. The world’s largest vegetable exporter had imposed a ban on onion exports last December and then extended it in March after prices rose due to sluggish production.
Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, said, “More than 45,000 tonnes of onion has been exported since the ban was lifted. Most of the exports were to West Asia and Bangladesh. The government had lifted the ban on May 4 to keep onion prices low during the elections. However, a minimum export price (MEP) of US$550 per tonne was imposed.
Khare said the forecast of good monsoon this year will ensure better sowing of kharif (summer) crops including onion from June. He said public sector agencies have started procuring onions from the recent Rabi (winter) crop to maintain a target buffer stock of 5,00,000 tonnes for the current year. According to preliminary estimates by the Agriculture Ministry, the country’s onion production is expected to decline by 16 per cent year-on-year to 25.4 million tonnes in crop year 2023-24 due to lower production in key producing regions like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.