Updated: October 22, 2020 7:13:38 am
On September 14, the government announced a ban on the export of onions “to ensure availability to domestic consumers at reasonable prices during the lean season before the arrival of the kharif onion.”
Amid rising onion prices, and perhaps also taking into account the Bihar elections, the Center on Wednesday relaxed import regulations for the light bulb until December 15 and asked Indian high commissioners from “relevant” countries to contact traders there to facilitate its import from India. The government has expressed hope that the kharif onions, which are likely to start reaching the mandis soon, will ease rising prices.
The move comes at a time when the retail price of onions has risen in recent days. According to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, a sharp rise in prices of Rs 11.56 per kg over the past 10 days has brought the retail price of onions across India to 51.95 rupees per kg. This is 12.13 percent higher than the price of Rs 46.33 per kg at this time last year.
On September 14, the government had announced the ban on the export of onions “To ensure availability for domestic consumers at reasonable prices during the lean season before the arrival of the kharif onion.”
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“To facilitate the importation of onion, the government relaxed the conditions for fumigation and the additional declaration on the Phytosanitary Certificate under the 2003 Plant Quarantine Order, for import until December 15,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. It stated: “The Indian High Commissions in the relevant countries have been instructed to contact traders to push for further imports of onions into the country … Such shipments of imported onions arriving at the port of India without fumigation and approval to that effect at the PSC, it would be fumigated in India by the importer through a reputable treatment provider. “
The ministry stated: “A commitment will be obtained from importers that the onion will be used only for consumption and not for propagation. Consignments of onions for consumption will not be subject to an additional inspection fee four times higher due to non-compliance with the import conditions under order PQ, 2003 ”.
According to the ministry, the rate of increase in retail prices has “moderated to some extent”, but recent heavy rains in the main onion growing districts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh “caused damage to the harvest of kharif standing, stored onion and seed nurseries. These developments on the climate front have resulted in a sharp rise in onion prices. “
The government said a reserve stock of onion from the 2020 Rabi season has been maintained and is being released.
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