Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that onion prices are on the rise because the Central government has lifted the export ban on the kitchen staple in favour of the farmers.
By removing the Minimum Export Price (MEP), the government hopes to enable Indian farmers to take advantage of global market conditions, thereby increasing their export opportunities and potentially stabilising domestic prices.
The government has prohibited the export of onions till March 2024.
The farmers and the traders were disagree with the Centre's decision to impose 40 per cent export duty on onions amid a rise in its prices.
The export duty comes amid reports that onion prices are likely to rise in September.
The government on Monday allowed the export of onions with effect from January 1, 2021.
Co-operative Nafed on Friday said it has finalised bidders and issued orders for timely supply of 15,000 tonnes of imported onions, which will help boost domestic availability and check price rise.
The government on Monday banned the export of onions with immediate effect. The move aimed at increasing the availability and checking price of the commodity in the domestic market.
The government will allow export of onions from March 15 in the interest of farmers, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.
The government on Wednesday decided to lift the nearly six-month-old ban on export of onions in a bid to protect the interests of farmers as prices are likely to fall sharply due to bumper rabi crop.
The stock holding limit was imposed in September. At present, retailers can stock onion only up to 100 quintals and wholesale traders are allowed to keep up to 500 quintals. Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday had asserted that the government was making maximum efforts to control prices.
Poduction of onion this year is about 215 lakh tonnes while it was 209 lakh tonnes last year, said Paswan, while blaming hoarders and middlemen for the hike in the price of onion.
Mumbai, Sept 12: Shiv Sena has written a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to lift the ban on the export of onions.“As the onion farmers are suffering losses due to the
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