A labourer shortlist onion at APMC wholesale Market in Ahmedabad. File
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji
The Centre, on Saturday, imposed a 40% duty on the export of onions. The Centre will even offload stocks of onions in varied wholesale markets to scale back the retail costs. The nationwide common costs of the important vegetable had elevated by not less than ₹5 in contrast to final 12 months.
On Saturday, the nationwide common worth was ₹30.72 per kilogram, with a most worth of ₹63 per kilogram in Champhai in Manipur and a minimal of ₹10 per kilogram at Neemuch and Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh. “This notification shall come into force with immediate effect, and will remain in force up to and inclusive of the December 31, 2023,” a gazette notification of the Union Finance Ministry’s Revenue Department stated. NCP chief and MP Supriya Sule questioned the transfer and urged the Centre to guarantee remunerative costs for onion farmers.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh stated the choice was taken so as to improve the supply of onions within the home market particularly in view of the upcoming pageant season. “It was also being noticed that there was a sharp rise in exports in the recent past,” he informed The Hindu. He added that the Centre auctioned two truckloads, every with 30 metric tonnes of onion, in Azadpur market right here and the NAFED auctioned three truckloads. He stated the Centre, at a charge of ₹23 per kilogram and ₹22.5 per kilogram, plans to offload not less than 5 truckloads per day within the coming week.
Mr. Singh stated the market has began cooling by the announcement for offloading by the Centre. “We expect the rates to go down further on Monday. Because of our intervention, private traders who were holding on to their stocks have also started offloading fearing crash in prices,” he stated.
Responding to a press release made by Ms. Sule in February that the Centre was attempting to ban or regulate onion export harming the farmers, the Union Commerce Ministry stated there was no such transfer. “Government has not restricted or prohibited the export of onion. The extant export policy of onions is ‘free’. Only the export of onion seed is ‘Restricted’ and that too is permitted under Authorisation from Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT),” the Centre had stated. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had additionally questioned Ms. Sule’s stand.
Ms. Sule stated she was at all times talking the reality. “I was talking what I was hearing from the ground. Farmers were telling me that there was a plan to ban or regulate the export. I requested the Commerce Ministry to drop this plan. I was told that there was no such plan. But now, they are regulating the export of onions. There has to be a balance between the interests of farmers and consumers. Farmers should get remunerative price. Consumers should get onions at a reasonable price. It is the duty of the government to ensure a win win situation,” she added.
According to the Commerce Ministry, within the ongoing monetary 12 months, about 9.75 lakh tonnes of onions have been exported. Bangladesh, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates are the key importers of onions from India.
