Centre to import onion from Turkey, Egypt

The government will import 11000 Metric Ton (MT) of onion from Turkey in addition to 6090 MT from Egypt, in the backdrop of soaring onion prices in the Indian retail market.

According to Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India has placed the order, which will begin arriving in India later this month, while from Egypt the consignment will start reaching in mid-December.

On Thursday, Imran Hussain, the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies in the Delhi government, wrote to Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan requesting him to direct National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) to continue supplying onions at Rs 15.60 per kilogram in the national capital in the larger public interest.

On the other hand in Uttar Pradesh, the retail price of the staple food has shot up to Rs 100 per kg, leaving many consumers with the hole in their pockets.

On November 20, the Union Cabinet had approved the import of 1.2 lakh metric tonnes onion to ease the price in the retail market.