India to lift onion export ban soon: Minister

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Bangla Tribune Report
Published : 17:46, Oct 14, 2019 | Updated : 17:56, Oct 14, 2019

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi addresses a media call on Wednesday (Jan 9). Focus Bangla/File PhotoAmid volatile prices of onion in the local kitchen markets, Commerce Minister Tipu Munsi says that India will lift its ban on the export of the essential commodity soon.
“Talks [on importing onions] have been held with India. The country is going to withdraw the ban on the export of onions. The price of onions will be stable soon,” he said while speaking a programme in Dhaka on Monday (Oct 14).
The government “will go tough against the traders if they hoard onions illegally,” Munsi warned.
Prices of onions have gone up by several folds in the local markets following India's ban on the export of onions on Sept 29. Bangladesh is one of the top three destinations for Indian onions.
India exported 2.2 million tonnes of fresh onions in the 2018-19 fiscal year ended on Mar 30, according to a Reuters report.
At the same time, Bangladesh imported 578,111 tonnes of onions from India, according to data compiled by India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.


Also read      India bans exports of onion with immediate effect


 

Bangladesh consumes a higher quantity of onions than the country produces annually.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the country's onion production in the 2016-17 fiscal was 1.86 million tonnes against the demand for 2.4 million tonnes.
In August, the commerce ministry said that the country had 1.6 million tonnes of onions in stock and claimed that the quantity was good enough to meet the local demand.
Bangladesh is eighth on the Food and Agricultural Organization's (FAO) list of top ten countries producing onion.
China tops the FAO list with annual production of 24.28 million tons, followed by India 22.42 million tons, USA 3.73 million tons, Iran 2.37 million tons, Egypt 2.37 million tons, Russian Federation 2.13 million tons, Turkey 2.13 million tons, Bangladesh 1.86 million tons, Pakistan 1.83 million tons and The Netherlands 1.77 million tons.

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