India bans onion seed exports with immediate effect

New Delhi: The government on Thursday banned exports of onion seeds with immediate effect. Earlier, the export of onion seeds was in the restricted category, which means an exporter was required to obtain a licence or permission from the government for shipments. “The export of onion seeds is prohibited, with immediate effect,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. It added that the provisions under transitional arrangement shall not be applicable.

India exported onion seeds worth $0.57 million in the April-August period against $3.5 million in the full 2019-20 fiscal. Iran, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates are the top three importers of Indian onion seeds. “Ensuring the availability of onion at affordable prices for consumers, Government under PM @NarendraModi ji bans export of onion seeds,” commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal tweeted.

Earlier this month, the government 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. It had also relaxed the norms for importing onions and asked Indian embassies to contact suppliers. India 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.