Onion exports climb 33% to Rs 2,362 cr in Apr-Feb

India's onion exports went up 33% to Rs 2,362 crore in the first 11 months of 2015-16 on higher realisation of sales. Onion exports stood at 9,80,566 tonnes during the 11 months of 2015-16 as against 9,70,442 tonnes in the same period of the previous financial year, according to data compiled by the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF).

In value terms, the exports increased to Rs 2,362 crore from Rs 1,771 crore in the year-ago period on the back of higher sales realisation, the data showed.

The average price realisation worked out to Rs 28,215 per tonne in 2015-16 as against Rs 18,507 for the whole of 2014-15.

Last year, the government had hiked the minimum export price (MEP) to $425 per tonne in June and then to $700 per tonne in August after prices skyrocketed on lower output due to unseasonal rains.

On December 25 last year, the government had scrapped the onion MEP to push exports as domestic prices crashed. MEP is the rate below which no trader is allowed to export.

India had exported 10,86,072 tonnes of onion for Rs 2,010 crore in 2014-15.

Onion output stood at 189 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June). In the 2015-16 crop year, production is estimated at 206 lakh tonnes.

Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are the top three onion-producing states in the country.

Onion prices are currently ruling at Rs 20-25 per kg in the retail market of the national capital.