• Source:PTI
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The Centre on Saturday announced that 99,500 tonnes of onions, primarily from Maharashtra, will be exported to six neighbouring countries despite the ban on shipments. The Centre has also allowed the export of 2,000 tonnes of white onion grown specifically for export markets in the Middle East and some European countries. The government reportedly banned the export of onions in December 2023. 

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in an official statement said the government has "allowed export of 99,150 tonnes of onion to six neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, UAE, Bhutan, Bahrain, Mauritius and Sri Lanka".

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The ban on export was imposed to ensure adequate domestic availability in the backdrop of expected reduced Kharif and Rabi crops in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. The ministry said that the ban was imposed amid an increase in demand in the international market. 

"As the largest producer of onion in the country, Maharashtra is the major supplier of onions sourced by NCEL for export," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the government has also permitted the export of 2,000 tonnes of white onion, cultivated, especially for export markets in the Middle East and some European countries.

"Being purely export-oriented, the production cost of the white onion is higher than other onions due to higher seed cost, adoption of good agricultural practice (GAP) and compliance to strict maximum residue limits (MRL) requirements," the statement added.

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Earlier in March this year, the Union Agriculture Ministry released the onion production data. According to the data, onion production in 2023-24 (First Advance Estimates) is expected to be around 254.73 lakh tonnes compared to around 302.08 lakh tonnes last year, as reported by news agency PTI. 

The data showed that the output decreased by 34.31 lakh tonnes in Maharashtra, 9.95 lakh tonnes in Karnataka, 3.54 lakh tonnes in Andhra Pradesh, and 3.12 lakh tonnes in Rajasthan.