Govt to import additional 12,500 tonnes of onions from Turkey to ease retail prices

NEW DELHI: As onions prices continue to rule above the Rs 100/kg mark in several cities across the country, the government on Thursday decided to import an additional 12,500 tonnes of onions from Turkey to ease its prices in the retail market. News agency ANI reported that the Centre has contracted additional 12,500 MT of onions from Turkey.

State-run MMTC has been contracted to import an additional 12,500 tonnes of onion from Turkey as directed by the Price Stabilisation Fund Management Committee of the Department of Consumer Affairs, an official release said.

Central government contracts additional 12,500 MT of Onions from Turkey. Total imports contracted so far is 42,500 MT, of which 12,000 MT to arrive in India before 31st December, 2019. pic.twitter.com/nDA5SVfkNo

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2019

The onions will begin arriving in India from mid-January onwards. With this, the total contracted onion for imports so far has gone up to 42,500 tonnes.

About 12,000 tonnes of onion will arrive before December 31, which will be supplied to various states in line with their respective demand, the release said.

Onion prices have more than doubled in the past one month due to the crop loss in the kharif and late-kharif season as excess rain and flooding impacted production in the key producing regions of Mahrashtra and Karnataka.