The Government has extended the export ban on onion till further orders to increase domestic availability and keep its prices under check. Earlier, it was prohibited till March 31 this year.
“Export prohibition on export of onions valid till 31st March 2024, is extended until further orders,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said in a notification dated March 22. The DGFT is an arm of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
On December 8, 2023, the Government banned the export of onions. However, it allowed the export of onions to friendly countries on a case-to-case basis. It permitted the export of 64,400 tonnes of onion to the UAE and Bangladesh through the National Cooperative Exports Ltd (NCEL).
Earlier, the Centre, in October 2023, decided to step up the sale of buffer onion stock at a subsidised rate of ₹25 per kg in retail markets to provide relief to consumers. The Government imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of $800 per tonne on onion exports on October 28 till December 31, 2023 to control rising prices. In August, India had imposed a 40 per cent export duty on onions up to December 31, 2023.
In the 2023 rabi season, onion production was estimated to be at 22.7 million tonnes.
