Union government has banned export of all varieties of onions with immediate effect by amending an export policy following rising prices of onions across the country. Onion price increased at least 30% in the past one week.
New Delhi: Union ministry of commerce and industry on Sunday amended the export policy of onion from free to prohibited, which amounts to banning of all varieties of onions from export, with immediate effect.
In a notification issued today by director-general of foreign trade, Alok Vardhan Chaturvedi announced an amendment in export policy of onions. "Export policy of onion for the item description at Serial Number 51 & 52 of Chapter 7 of Schedule 2 of ITC (HS) classification of Export and Import Items is amended from free to prohibited till further orders,” the notification reads.
The prohibition by the government comes amid rising prices of onions across the country.
On September 26, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan had asked the states to buy onions from Centre and asserted that their requirements would be fulfilled immediately.
"To augment onion supplies to the markets, a team of two joint secretary-level officers have been sent to Maharashtra to talk to the farmers, traders and transporters to assess the availability of onions and to persuade them to bring more onions to the market," Paswan said in a series of tweets.
In a bid to offer some relief to the people, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday said the government has started selling onions for Rs 23.9/kg through 70 mobile vans across the national capital.
The average retail price of onions has risen sharply in the last few weeks as a seasonal shortage worsened following flooding in several onion-growing states.
(With inputs from ANI)
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