India exported 260,000 tonnes of onion in Apr-July: MoS Verma in Lok Sabha

India exported 2.6 lakh tonne of onions till July of this fiscal year, the government said on Wednesday.

"Government has lifted the onion prohibition from 4th May, 2024 and allowed the export with minimum export price of (MEP) of $ 550 per tonne and export duty of 40 per cent.

"Till 31st July, 2024, a total quantity of 2.60 lakh tonne of onion had been exported in current financial year 2024-25," Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs B L Verma said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

India had exported 16.07 lakh tonne of onions in the last fiscal.

Further, he said the government had procured 4.68 lakh tonne, majorly from Maharashtra, through NCCF and NAFED for the price stabilisation buffer.

"In comparison with last year (2023), the price realisation by onion farmers in current year has been much higher. The average monthly mandi modal prices of onion in Maharashtra between April and July, 2024 were in the range of Rs 1,230 to Rs 2,578 per quintal as against Rs 693 to Rs 1,205 per quintal for corresponding period last year (2023)," Verma said.

The average procurement price of onion for the buffer in current year was Rs 2,833 per quintal, which is 64 per cent higher than the procurement price of Rs 1,724 per quintal last year.

"India is a net exporter of onion and earns income from the export. The net export value earned by India for each of the last three years were Rs 3,326.99 crore in 2021-22, Rs 4,525.91 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 3,513.22 crore in 2023-24," the minister said.