Government allows exports of Bangalore rose onions, Krishnapuram onions

NEW DELHI: New Delhi: India on Friday eased the export norms for certain kinds of onions and allowed the export of Bangalore Rose Onions and Krishnapuram Onions of up to 10,000 MT each upto March 31, 2021.

The government had last month prohibited the export of all varieties of onion except those cut, sliced or in powder form including these two varieties that were free for export earlier in the wake of
higher prices and shortage of onion in the domestic market.


“Empowering farmers & increasing their income, Govt permits export of Bangalore Rose Onions & Krishnapuram Onions of up to 10,000 MT each,” commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet.

Bangladesh, Malaysia, UAE and Sri Lanka are the top importers of Indian onions.

“The export shipment of Bangalore Rose Onion shall be allowed only through Chennai port and export to be completed by March 31, 2021,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification on Friday, adding that exporters will have to get a certificate from Karnataka’s horticulture commissioner certifying the item and quantity to be exported.

For Krishnapuram onions, exporters need to take a certificate from Andhra Pradesh’s horticulture kadapa, DGFT said.

India had last year banned the exports of the key kitchen staple in the wake of rising prices and set the minimum export price (MEP) of onion at $850 a tonne to curb its shipments and help bring down soaring prices in the domestic market due to floods in parts of major growing states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The MEP was lifted in March this year and onions were made free for export.

India exported $198 million of onions in the April-June period of FY21 and $440 million in the entire 2019-20.