Government increases MEP of onions by 15%

16 Jul 2011 Evaluate

The Government on July 15 increased the Minimum Export Prices (MEP) of onion by 15% or $30 to $230 per tonne to discourage shipment of the kitchen staple outside the country. This increase in MEP is the second hike on export prices of onion from last 40 days. By increasing export prices government wants to control the shipment of onions.

However, government did not change the MEP of two superior varieties i.e. Krishnapuram Onions and Bangalore Rose Onions, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said, 'MEP of onions other than Bangalore Rose onions and Krishnapuram onions will be $230 per tonne Freight on Board (FOB). It was $200 per tonne as notified on June 8, 2011'. On March 31, government had fixed the MEP of onion to $170 a tonne, for all varieties except Bangalore rose and Krishnapuram. 

Earlier on June 8, government had increased the MEP of onion by $30 to $200 per tonne from $170 a tonne. The move of government, is viewed as the, step to, control the prices of vegetables in domestic market by having control on exports. The weekly food inflation measured by the wholesale price index (WPI) rose to 8.13% for week ended July 2 from 7.61% in last week, and prices of onion increased by 30% for the same week.

Last year in December, government had imposed a ban on exports of the onion, after increasing the domestic retail prices dramatically to Rs 80 to 85 per KG, the ban on exports was removed in February this year after prices coming down to normal level.  However, while removing the ban on exports, government had kept MEP of onion at higher level of $600 per tonne as a safety measures. After the complaints of traders and intervention from the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar the MEP was reduced in phases.

During 2010-11, country’s export of onion reduced by 31% at 12.89 million tonnes from last year.

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