The government today removed the minimum export price (MEP) of onion to boost exports of the kitchen staple.
"Requirement of MEP on export of onions...stands removed till further orders and all varieties of onions can now be exported without any MEP," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification.
In a tweet, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu also said the requirement of MEP has been removed.
"All varieties of onions can now be exported. We are taking all measures to promote exports of agriculture products," he said.
In January, the government had cut the MEP by USD 150 per tonne as prices of the vegetable was moderating.
MEP is imposed time and again to check rising prices.
Currently, the prices are hovering in range of about Rs 40-45 per kg.
As prices of onion had started firming up in the last few months of 2017 on tight supplies, the government has asked state-run MMTC to import 2,000 tonnes of onion. It had also asked other agencies Nafed and SFAC to buy onions locally and supply in consuming areas.
About 40 per cent 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. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat are the major onion producing states.
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