Centre directs NCCF, NAFED to procure 7 lakh tonnes of onion for buffer

Following the Centre's prohibition on the export of onion on 8 December, 2023 which will be in effect till 31 March, 2024, the Government has directed the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) to procure 7 lakh tonnes of onion for the buffer.

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The onion ban comes in the wake of the Government taking into account the delay in Kharif arrival, the quantity of onion exported and global situation such as trade and non-trade restrictions imposed by major suppliers such as Turkey, Egypt and Iran. The ban, announced by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), has been taken to ensure availability of onion to the domestic consumers at affordable prices and that farmers are not adversely affected. Retail sales price of the kitchen staple crossed Rs 80 per kg in the Delhi and the prices in mandis hovered around Rs 60 per kg. On 29 October this year, the Government had imposed minimum export price (MEP) of USD 800 per ton for onion exports and simultaneously disposing onion buffer stock. While the MEP had been effective in reducing the quantum of onion exports, sizable quantities continued to be exported due to the global situation and delayed arrival of kharif crop.