New Delhi: Following the latest garlic price surge that wreaked havoc on the budgets of Indian households, onion retail prices are now giving nightmares to consumers in India. Notably, this Monday saw
New Delhi: Following the latest garlic price surge that wreaked havoc on the budgets of Indian households, onion retail prices are now giving nightmares to consumers in India. Notably, this Monday saw the average per quintal onion price jump from Rs 1,280 to Rs 1,800, with prices fluctuating between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,100 per quintal, as per a report by Zee News English.
The centre had put an export hold on onions starting on December 7th last year, continuing up to March 31st, 2024. The intention behind this move was to cater to local needs and control the rates at the wholesale level. Notably, the step led to a drastic drop of about 67% in the average wholesale pricing of onions in the span of around two and a half months; it fell from Rs 3,950 per quintal on December 6 of the previous year to landing at Rs 1,280 per quintal on the 17th of February, as per a report in the Times of India.
The ban on the export of onions will continue until its previously announced deadline of March 31, as the government is keen to keep prices under check and ensure domestic availability, a top official said on Tuesday.
On December 8, 2023, the government banned the export of onions until March 31.
“Ban on onion exports has not been lifted. It is in force and there is no change in the status,” Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told PTI.
The government’s supreme priority is to ensure enough domestic availability of onions at reasonable prices for consumers, he added.
On reports of the lifting of the export ban on the commodity, the modal wholesale onion prices shot up 40.62 per cent to Rs 1,800 per quintal on February 19 in Lasalgoan, the country’s largest wholesale onion market, from Rs 1,280 per quintal on February 17. Ahead of the general elections, the ban is unlikely to be lifted even after March 31, as rabi (winter) onion production is expected to be lower due to less coverage of the area, especially in Maharashtra, sources said.
In the 2023 rabi season, onion production was estimated to be 22.7 million tonnes.
The Agriculture Ministry officials will assess the rabi onion coverage in the key growing states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in the coming days. Meanwhile, the export of onions to friendly countries is allowed on a case-by-case basis after approval from the inter-ministerial group.
(With inputs from agencies)