EGoM to review ban on onion exports on September 20

19 Sep 2011 Evaluate

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, on September 20, will review its decision of ban on onion exports. The EGoM on food had restricted the exports of onion, to control the prices in domestic market. The EGoM’s decision of restricting the exports of commodity has led agitation by farmers across the country. Farmers from Maharashtra, who produce around 33% of India’s total output, have stopped selling onions.

The Centre's ban on onion export will be reviewed by the EGoM on September 20. The ban came into effect on September 7 on fears that onion prices could rise, stoking food inflation further. Their inventory has increased around 14 lakh tonnes. In Nashik, the main center of India’s onion trade, the farmers’ protests has made agriculture producer market yards being shut indefinitely.

On September 17, the Finance Minister and Chief Minister of Maharashtra and other senior State Ministers met delegation of farmers from state and assured them that the central government will consider their demands. Maharashtra's Minister for Public Works Chhagan Bhujbal, after the meeting said that the farmers want the ban to be lifted immediately or the Centre should fix a minimum support price.

Farmers told Mukherjee that the sudden rise in North India was not triggered by them and they must get at least Rs 1,200 for a quintal of onion. Export ban will lead to drastic fall in prices and that would result in massive losses, Bhujbal said. By adding further he said, ‘at Rs 1,200 a quintal, farmers are not reaping huge profits; but it is enough to keep them going. If protest from farmers is continued then the prices of onion is expected to increase dramatically as onion bulbs are drying and losing up to 30% of their weight. 

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