FE Today Logo

India allows onion export to BD, 5 other countries

April 28, 2024 00:00:00


The Indian government has allowed export of 99,150 tonnes of onion to Bangladesh and five other countries, according to local media reports.

The other countries are the UAE, Bhutan, Bahrain, Mauritius and Sri Lanka, the Times of India said on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.

The Indian government also allowed export of 2,000 tonnes of white onion cultivated specially for export markets in the Middle-East and some European countries.

The National Cooperative Exports Limited or NCEL is the agency for export of onions to these countries.

India imposed a ban on onion exports in December to keep prices under control after drought and bad weather hit production.

The ban, which was to be effective until Mar 31, sent prices higher in Bangladesh because the country depends partly on supply from India. As the ban was extended indefinitely, Bangladeshi ministers spoke to their Indian counterparts about the issue on several occasions.

The Indian government the agreed to send 50,000 tonnes of onions to Bangladesh during Ramadan, when demand for the kitchen staple skyrockets.

Traders estimate that India, which has shorter shipment times than rivals such as China or Egypt for many markets, accounts for more than half of all onion imports by Asian countries.

India exported a record 2.5 million tonnes of onions in the financial year that ended on Mar 31, 2023.


Share if you like