Farmers Out On The Streets As Government Bans Onion Export Till March 2024

Farmers across Maharashtra are protesting after the government banned the export of onions from the country till the end of March 2024.

On Friday onion farmers blocked the busy Mumbai-Agra Highway at three places in Nashik and decided to stop auctions in wholesale markets of the district indefinitely, to protest the export ban.

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Why export ban is bad news for farmers

According to farmers, and traders the export ban effective from Saturday came as a shock to them.

"The government should have given an ultimatum at least a week in advance before taking a decision on the export ban. All traders are now confused and have decided to stop auctions," Nashik District Onion Traders Association president Khandu Deore.

On Friday farmers also stopped the auction of onions at Lasalgaon, Chandwad, Nandgaon, Dindori, Yeola, Umarane and other places in Nashik district, fearing that the export ban will crash the prices.

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What farmers, traders say

¡°The Union government imposed the export ban without any intimation or complaint. Farmers have suffered losses due to unseasonal rainfall and hail. Corn and onion crops have suffered. The ban should be revoked as soon as possible,¡± Kiran Darade, a farmer, said.

Lasalgaon APMC chairperson Balasaheb Kshirsagar said, ¡°The Centre's decision is not in favour of farmers. Onion prices were not rising sharply and had come down in the last five to six days. This decision will cause losses to farmers and we demand a rollback.¡±

At present, the prices are Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per quintal, though people are selling it at Rs 3,000 per quintal, he said.

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Why onion export was banned

On Friday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade had issued a notification banning the export of onions.

"Export policy of onions... is amended from free to prohibited till March 31, 2024," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The DGFT also said that the exports of onion, however, will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries based on their request.

It added that shipments of onion, whose loading had commenced before this notification, are allowed to be exported.

Further, where shipping bill is filed and vessels have already berthed and anchored in Indian ports for loading of onion and their rotation number has been allocated before this notification, that shipment is also allowed for exports.

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Exports of onion are also permitted if "consignments of onion has been handed over to the customs before this notification and is registered in their system/ where onions consignment has entered the customs station for exportation before this notification and is registered in the electronic systems of the concerned custodian of the customs station with verifiable evidence of date and time stamping of these commodities having entered the station prior to December 8".

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