New Delhi

The Centre has asked States to firm up their plans to procure onions as farmers are protesting in Maharashtra due to low prices. Though exports are in full swing and higher during April-December of the current fiscal, prices may not see any significant jump as the rabi crop is set to arrive in a month’s time, experts said.

Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh held a meeting with State government officials where he asked them to draw up a plan for procurement to help farmers, sources said. The expectation of a bumper rabi harvest, which has a longer shelf life compared to onion grown during the kharif season, has created a bearish sentiment in the market, a senior Agriculture Ministry official said.

Also read: Indian onion prices slump to 4-year-low as output in non-traditional States rises

“There are no restrictions or prohibitions on the export of onions from India,” the Commerce Ministry said on Sunday as Nationalist Congress Party’s Supriya Sule had raised concerns on onion exports a day earlier via Twitter.

Record high exports?

According to the government’s agri-export promotion body APEDA, shipments of onions have surged to 17.22 lakh tonnes (lt) worth $394.13 million during April-December of 2022-23. For the entire 2021-22 fiscal, 15.37 lt in were exported. This year’s onion exports may top the record 24.18 lt of exports in 2016-17, the official said.

Also read: Onions worth $523.8 million exported in April-December 2022

There has been a supply glut of late kharif variety as farmers are eager to sell their entire produce within three days of harvest fearing wastage due to rise in temperature in February. Late kharif crop is normally sold by farmers within a week of the harvest as its shelf life is too short.

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