The exports of onion declined by 21% to over 7.76 lakh tonnes (LT) during April-December period of the current financial year, as per data compiled by the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF). This decline in the current financial year was mainly due to price restrictions imposed on outbound shipments. The exports of onion stood over 9.87 LT in the corresponding period of 2013-14 fiscal.
The exports dipped by 46% to Rs 1,364.74 crore in value terms during the first nine months of this fiscal as compared to Rs 2,532 crore in the year-ago period. During the entire 2013-14 fiscal, onion exports stood at 13.58 LT worth Rs 2,877.13 crore.
Onion production is estimated at 193.56 LT in the 2014-15 crop year, slightly less than 194 LT in the previous year. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Bihar are the major onion producing states.