Onion exports climb 33% to R2,362 cr in Apr-Feb

Higher realisation of sales provides boost to outward shipment

INDIA’S onion exports went up 33% to R2,362 crore in the first 11 months of 2015-16 on higher realisation of sales.

Onion exports stood at 9,80,566 tonne during the 11 months of 2015-16 as against 9,70,442 tonne in the same period of the previous financial year, according to data compiled by the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF).

Invalueterms,theexports increased toR2,362crorefrom R1,771 crore in the year-ago period on the back of higher sales realisation, the data showed.Theaveragepricerealisation worked out to R28,215 per tonne in 2015-16 as against R18,507 for the whole of 2014-15. Last year, the government had hiked the minimum export price (MEP) to $425 per tonne in June and R18,507 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 R28,215 allowed to export.

India had exported 10,86,072 tonne of onion for R2,010 crore in 2014-15.

Onion output stood at 189 lakh tonne in 2014-15 crop year (July-June). In the 201516 crop year, production is estimated at 206 lakh tonne.

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

Onionpricesarecurrently ruling at R20-25 per kg in the retail market of the national capital. PTI

The average price realisation worked out to 2015-16 as against for the whole of 2014-15 per tonne in