Cabinet approves import of 1.2 lakh tonnes onion: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Cabinet on vember 20 gave its approval to Food Ministry's recent decision to import 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions in a bid to improve domestic availability of key kitchen staple and check prices. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed about decision at a media briefing after Cabinet meeting. On vember 16, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had anunced that government will import 1,00,000 tonnes of onions through state-run MMTC, which has already floated a tender for buying 4,000 tonnes of commodity from global market.

government is also facilitating private imports and also relaxed phytosanitary and fumigation rms until December. move comes after government's various efforts to boost domestic availability failed to cool down retail prices significantly. Retail prices of onions are continuing to rule above Rs 60/kg in national capital and or consuming centres. Onion prices have come under pressure due to 26 percent fall in production to 52.06 lakh tonnes during Kharif output late-Kharif seasons of 2019-20.

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all-India aver retail price of onion stood at Rs 60.38 per kg on vember 15, compared with Rs 22.84 per kg on same date last year.

Besides easing rms for onion import, government has taken several measures including a ban on exports, stock limits on traders and sale of commodity stored as a buffer, at a subsidised rate.

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