Paswan seeks ban on onion exports

Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has written a letter to Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to impose a ban on export of onion, to control its prices in the open market.

Officials in the know said Paswan in his letter had emphasised that the government should first put a ban on export  and then look for importing from other countries to ensure domestic supplies remain stable.

Onion prices had moved up suddenly last month due to the poor monsoon. However, since early July, prices have shown a stabilising trend after the government raised the minimum export price to $500 a tonne.