Farmers in Maharashtra protest against Centre's decision to ban export of onions with immediate effect

A day after Centre's decision to ban the export of onion, several onion farmers in Maharashtra's Lasalgaon and Nashik came out on roads on Tuesday (September 15) to protest against the government's decision. The farmers are demanding that the Centre must lift the ban on the export of onion.

It is interesting to note that the price of onion has touched Rs 35 per kilogram in Mumbai but in Lasalgaon, which is the largest producer of onion in India, the best quality onion is still selling at Rs 3200 per quintal. The price of average quality onion is Rs 2,800 per quintal while low quality onion are selling here at Rs 1100 per quintal. The traders at onion market in Lasalgaon kept their shops closed on Tuesday to register protest against the Centre's decision to ban the export of onion. 

Notably, the fresh crop of onion will come to market in January, which means there is a gap of 3 months before the new produce of onion will hit the market. The supply of majority of onion during this period comes from some parts of Karnataka but this year the onion harvest has been badly hit in these areas due to heavy rainfall.

The Centre on Monday banned the export of all varieties of onions with immediate effect, a move aimed at increasing the availability and curbing prices of the commodity in the domestic market. "The export of all varieties of onions... Is prohibited with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The DGFT, an arm of the commerce ministry, deals with exports and imports-related issues. The provisions under transitional arrangement shall not be applicable under this notification.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat are major onion producing states. It may be noted that 40 per cent of the country's total onion crop is produced in the kharif season and the rest during the rabi season. The kharif crop, however, cannot be stored.