Onion exports fell by 6.75 per cent to 8.28 lakh tonnes in the first ten months of 2015-16 fiscal due to restrictions on the overseas sale of the key vegetable.
However, in terms of value, exports rose over 35 per cent to Rs 2,161.70 crore in April-January as against Rs 1,597.99 crore in the same period a year ago on higher realisation, according to data compiled by National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF).
As per the data, onion exports stood at 8,28,656 tonnes in the period under review as against 8,88,673 tonnes in the year-ago period.
The fall in shipments in volume terms was mainly due to increase in the minimum export price (MEP) to USD 425 per tonne in June and then again to USD 700 per tonne in August last year after prices in the domestic market shot up on lower output, owing to unseasonal rains.
However, on December 25, the government had to scrap the MEP on onion to encourage exports as the domestic prices crashed. MEP is the rate below which no trader is allowed to export.
The average price realisation was as high as over Rs 48,000 per tonne when export curbs were in place. But sale realisation fell to Rs 14,997 per tonne in January after the government removed MEP.
India had exported 10.86 lakh tonnes of onion for Rs 2,009.94 crore in the full 2014-15 fiscal.
Onion output is estimated to touch a new record at 203 lakh tonnes in the ongoing 2015-16 crop year (July-June) as against 189.2 lakh tonnes in 2014-15. The previous record was 194 lakh tonnes in 2013-14.
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are the top three onion-producing states in the country.
Prices of onion are ruling at Rs 20-25 per kg in the retail market of the national capital.
