Page 2 - Onion Exports

Asian buyers struggle with high price of onions after India's export ban

The world's biggest exporter of onions banned shipments on Dec. 8 after domestic prices more than doubled in three months following a drop in production.

Government defends onion export ban as Opposition rakes farmers' issues

The government on Tuesday defended its decision to impose export ban on onion, stating that sometimes Indian consumers should get the priority to get essential goods at appropriate prices. She was responding to a question flagged by NCP leader Supriya Sule during the discussion on supplementary demands for grants in the Lok Sabha. India on December 8 banned exports of onion till March next year to increase domestic availability and keep prices in check, which is currently selling at about Rs 60 per kg. The minister said that the government carefully balance the interests of farmers and consumers. "I understand the concern, but if there are crop shortages and if there are difficulties of getting something as essential as onion to the market, we will have to ensure that Indian consumers get the priority and therefore, sometimes we need to come up with these measures," Sitharaman said. NCP president Sharad Pawar on December 11 joined a protest by onion farmers in Maharashtra's Nashik

Sharad Pawar demands roll-back of ban on onion export, slams Centre

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday demanded that the ban on onion export be lifted and claimed the central government was ignoring the hard work of farmers. Addressing onion growers, who have been protesting against the Centre's decision, in Chandwad village of Nashik district in Maharashtra, Pawar said cultivators need to be united and demand their rights. "Nashik can show the way," he added. The Centre has banned onion exports till March 31 next year to increase domestic availability and to keep prices in check. Farmers in parts of Maharashtra have been protesting against the Centre's decision. Onion growers are small farmers who toil for a good crop, Pawar said, adding that during his tenure as Union agriculture minister, he never brought down the onion prices nor banned exports. "The ban on onion exports should be lifted immediately," he said. Pawar further said, "Bangladesh has levied Rs 160 (import) duty on grapes. The grape producers will face hardships due to this deci

Govt expects onion prices to fall below Rs 40 per kg by January: Official

The government expects onion prices to fall below Rs 40 per kilogram by January from the current average price of Rs 57.02 per kilogram, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Monday. Last week, the government banned onion exports till March next year after the retail sales price of the kitchen staple crossed Rs 80 per kg in the national capital and the prices in mandis remained around Rs 60 per kg. To a query on when the onion prices are expected to fall below Rs 40 per kg, Singh said, "very soon January". "Somebody said it will touch Rs 100 per kg, we said it will never cross Rs 60 per kg. So, all India average is now Rs 57.02 per kg this morning and it will not cross Rs 60 per kg," Singh said on the sidelines of the 'Deloitte Growth with Impact Government Summit'. The export ban will not affect the farmers and it is a small group of traders who are exploiting the differential between prices in Indian and Bangladesh markets. "They (the traders who were exploiting .

Maharashtra Winter Session: Oppn stages protest against ban on onion export

Opposition legislators on Monday staged a protest on steps of the Vidhan Bhavan building here in Maharashtra against the ban on export of onions by the Centre. Some of the legislators wore garlands made of onions as a mark of protest, before the House proceedings began on the third day of winter session of the state legislature. Leader of opposition in the legislative assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, LoP in the legislative council Ambadas Danve, NCP leader Anil Deshmukh and many other leaders participated in the protest. They raised slogans against the government while demanding a roll-back of the ban on export of onions, proper price for the key kitchen staple and assistance for farmers. The Centre has banned onion exports till March 31, 2024, to increase domestic availability and keep prices in check. Talking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan premises, Danve claimed the central government's policy of ban on onion export was "anti-farmer". The onion farmers were suffering, he said, ad

Centre imposes ban on onion exports until March 2024 to curb price surge

India had previously imposed a minimum export price of $800 per metric ton, until Dec. 31, 2023, to discourage exports, in an effort to curb surging local prices

Onion exports decline 85% after Centre's minimum export price cap

The export price before the duty was levied was somewhere around $320 per tonne free-on-board (around Rs 2,650 per quintal)

Centre says certain onion consignments can be exported till Nov 30

The government on Thursday clarified onion consignments that have been handed over to the customs authorities and are registered in their systems before October 29 can be exported till November 30. On October 28, the government imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 800 per tonne on onion exports till December 31 this year with a view to increase availability of the vegetable in the domestic market and to contain prices. "Where onion consignment has been handed over to the customs before October 29, 2023... and is registered in their system/ where onions consignment has entered the customs station for exportation before this notification and is registered in the electronic systems of the concerned custodian of the customs station with verifiable evidence of date and time stamping of these commodities having entered the station prior to October 29. "The period of export shall be up to November 30 this year," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said. It added that th

Govt imposes minimum export price of $800 per tonne on onion till Dec 31

The government on Saturday imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 800 per tonne on onion exports till December 31 this year with a view to increase availability of the vegetable in the domestic market and contain prices. "Exports on onion is free. MEP of USD 800 FOB (free on board) per tonne is imposed till December 31, 2023," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification. Onion prices have further risen to Rs 65-80 per kilogramme in the retail market of the national capital on lower supply. Mother Dairy, which has around 400 Safal retail stores in the Delhi-NCR, is selling loose onions at Rs 67 per kg. E-commerce portal Bigbasket is selling at Rs 67 per kg, while Otipy at Rs 70 per kg. Local vendors are selling onions at Rs 80 per kg.

Two persons booked for cheating Navi Mumbai onion trader of Rs 2.07 cr

Police have registered an FIR against two persons for allegedly cheating an onion trader from Navi Mumbai of Rs 2.07 crore after assuring him good returns on investment in export of the key kitchen staple, an official said on Tuesday. With the promise of good returns, the accused allegedly made the trader invest Rs 2.36 crore in the export business, the official from CBD Belapur police station said. One of the accused, from Mulund in neighbouring Mumbai, later exported onion worth Rs 3.20 crore to Dubai and allegedly got payment through 'hawala' (illegal money transfer system). Out of the proceeds, the accused gave Rs 29 lakh to the trader, he said. The trader approached the police with a complaint alleging that he was cheated of Rs 2.07 crore. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered on Monday against the Mulund-based accused and his associate from Mira Bhayander area here under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 (common intention

Govt exempts 'Bangalore Rose' onion from export duty, subject to conditions

The government has exempted export of 'Bangalore Rose' onion from duty, subject to certain conditions. The Finance Ministry issued a notification granting exemption from export duty on Bangalore Rose onion provided that the exporter furnishes a certificate from the state horticulture commissioner, certifying the item and quantity of Bangalore Rose onion to be exported. In August, the government imposed a 40 per cent duty on export of all varieties of onions to increase domestic availability and check price rise in the local market.

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Politics of Maharashtra heats up as govt imposes 40% export duty on onion

Just as onions are layered, so is the politics around this humble bulb that finds itself on the political chopping board, yet again. SANJEEB MUKHERJEE writes

Hiked duty on onion exports must be lifted, says NCP chief Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has said the 40 per cent duty on onion export must be revoked, and also claimed that the Union government might impose restrictions on sugar exports too. Speaking at an event in Purandar tehsil of Pune district on Thursday, the former Union agriculture minister said it was the government's responsibility to ensure a fair price for onions. "For the last few days, farmers in the Nashik region are protesting...they are demanding fair prices for their onion produce. Onions from the country are exported, but the government has imposed a 40 per cent duty on the export. It is the responsibility of the government to give a fair price to onion growers considering the input cost and it is farmers' right to demand it, but no concrete decision has been taken," he said. The government did announce that it will procure onions at Rs 2,410 per quintal and allow export of 2 lakh tonnes, he noted, adding that in view of the input cost, the procureme

Won't make any difference if people don't eat onions: Maha minister

Amid protests by farmers and traders against the imposition of export duty of 40 per cent on onions by the Union government, Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse on Monday claimed it would make no difference if people did not consume the kitchen staple for two to four months. The Union government on August 19 imposed 40 per cent duty on the export of onions to increase domestic availability amid signs of increasing prices and in view of the upcoming festival season. The export duty, which is the first time ever on onion, was imposed by the Finance Ministry through a Customs notification and will be in force till December 31. "When you use a vehicle worth Rs 10 lakh, you can buy produce at the higher rate by Rs 10 or Rs 20 than the retail rate. Those who cannot afford to buy onion, it would make no difference if they do not eat it for 2-4 months," the state PWD minister said. He, however, also said the decision to impose export duty should have been taken with proper ...

Onion export duty 'timely' move to boost domestic supply, check price rise

The government on Monday said the decision to impose a 40 per cent export duty on onions was not a "premature" but a timely move to boost domestic supply and control retail prices. The statement comes amid farmers' protest at several places in Nashik district in Maharashtra against the 40 per cent duty imposed on onion exports. Traders are also against the imposition of the duty. "It is not a premature decision to impose export duty on onion. It is a timely decision taken to increase the domestic availability and check prices," Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told PTI. Till the situation demands, Singh said the government will intervene with release of buffer onions in both the wholesale and retails markets in select states. On Saturday, the Centre imposed a 40 per cent duty on the export of onions amid signs of price rise as well as increase in outward shipments. The decision to impose export duty on onions for the first time ever is also aimed to curbing price

Maharashtra farmers stop onion auction at wholesale market to protest

Farmers in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district on Sunday halted the auction of onions to protest the Centre's decision to impose 40 per cent duty on export of the kitchen staple. Onion growers in Rahuri tehsil of Ahmednagar district halted the ongoing auction of the bulb in the wholesale market. The Central government on Saturday imposed a 40 per cent duty on the export of onions till December 31, 2023 to increase domestic availability amid signs of increasing prices. The Union government's anti-farmer stand has again come to fore. Farmers in Maharashtra were expecting good returns from onion exports, but the imposed duty has ensured that there will not be any export. The prices in the domestic market will crash and farmers will incur losses, said Sandeep Jagtap, state president of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna. Several parts of Maharashtra have received insufficient rainfall and this will delay the arrival of fresh onions in the market, he said, accusing the government of protecting

Nepal resumes import of onions from India after halting it for 2 weeks

Traders in Nepal have resumed importing onions from India, more than two weeks after they stopped buying from the neighbouring country following the Nepal government's move to impose a hefty 13 per cent Value-Added Tax (VAT) on vegetables last month. Vegetable vendors started bringing onions to the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market, Kathmandu's main vegetable trading centre, on Monday, with the largest consignments of onions being poured in on Tuesday and Wednesday. Onions have started arriving in the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market, said Arjun Prasad Aryal, Deputy Executive Director of the market's Development Committee. "In total, 145 metric tonnes of onions arrived in Kathmandu's major vegetable wholesale market on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aryal said, adding that there is a smooth supply of the vegetable in the market as traders have started bringing onions by paying VAT. According to the financial bill introduced in the Himalayan country's Parliament on May 29, imported .

No ban on onion exports; $523 mln exported during Apr-Dec 2022: Govt

There is no ban on exports of onion and India has shipped the commodity worth USD 523.8 million during April-December 2022, the commerce ministry said on Sunday. It said that only the export of onion seed is restricted. "Government has not restricted or prohibited the export of onions," the ministry said in a statement. In December 2022, onion exports rose by about 50 per cent to USD 52.1 million. During April-December this fiscal, the exports rose by 16.3 per cent to USD 523.8 million. Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal in a tweet on Saturday stated that there is no ban on onion exports from India to any country and misleading statements suggesting the contrary is unfortunate. The statement came after a tweet by NCP leader Supriya Sule on February 25 on onion exports.

Afghanistan halts onion exports to meet domestic demand as prices surge

Afghanistan has halted the export of onions to meet the demands of its internal markets as the prices have recently surged