Indian Farmers Demand Removal of Onion Export Ban as Prices Plummet
21 March 2024, New Delhi: Indian onion farmers are urging for the lifting of the existing ban on onion exports as prices continue to decline. The ban, which is scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2024, has faced criticism as rabi crop supplies have improved.
Jaydutt Holkar, a director at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Lasalgaon, Nashik, Maharashtra, expressed concern over the significant drop in mandi prices. Rates have plummeted from around Rs 4500 per 100 kgs to Rs 1500 per 100 kgs since the imposition of the export ban. Holkar predicts further price declines as rabi crop arrivals reach their peak.
Although the government recently permitted limited onion exports to Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates, amounting to 50,000 and 14,400 tons respectively, farmers remain worried about the sustainability of current market prices. Balasaheb Misal, a former director at the Manmard (Maharashtra) mandi board and an onion farmer, argues that the current prices do not cover production costs. The government is currently deliberating on whether to extend the export ban beyond its scheduled end date.
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