The government has hiked the minimum export price (MEP) of the onion to $900 per tonne in order to curb the rising prices. The Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in its notification stated that exports of all varieties of onions will be subject to an MEP of $900 per tonne. The government had earlier imposed MEP of $650 per tonne on August 14. MEP is a benchmark price below which onion cannot be exported.
The shipments of onion in August had come down substantially to 29,000 tonnes due to fixing of export floor price. However, onion prices in retail markets, soared again to Rs 70-80 per kg. In order to improve supplies the government has taken several measures including imports. It is keeping a close watch on price situation and the state governments has been directed by the Centre to crackdown on hoarders and speculators who are keeping onion prices artificially high.
NAFED had earlier recommended the government to further hike the MEP of onion to $900 a tonne. NAFED has meanwhile floated global tenders to import onions but has not taken a decision yet due to phytosanitary issues. Some private traders have imported onions and they are being sold in the domestic market.
The country is facing short supply of onion as much of the stored onions of last year’s crop are exhausted and new crop from South India is yet to arrive in huge quantities in the consuming states. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat are some of the main onion producing states.
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