TBT DESK: The government of India has withdrawn 20% duty on onion export, effective from 1 April, 2025.
A notification to this effect was issued on Saturday by the Department of Revenue on the communication of Department of Consumer Affairs, India.
To ensure domestic availability, the government had taken measures to check export by means of duty, minimum export price (MEP) and even to the extent of export prohibition for almost five months, from 8th December, 2023 till 3rd May, 2024.
The export duty of 20% which now stands removed has been in place from 13th September, 2024, according to the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
Despite export restriction, the total onion export during FY 2023-24 was 17.17 lakh tonnes and FY 2024-25 (till 18th March) was 11.65 lakh tonnes.
Monthly onion export quantity had picked up from 0.72 lakh tonnes in September, 2024 to 1.85 lakh tonnes in January, 2025.
The decision stands as another testament to the government's commitment to ensuring remunerative prices to farmers while maintaining affordability of onion to the consumers at this crucial juncture when both mandi and retail prices have softened following expected arrival of rabi crops in good quantities, said the Ministry. Even though the current mandi prices are above the level during corresponding periods of previous years, a decline of 39% is observed in the all-India weighted average modal prices.
Similarly, all-India average retail prices recorded declines of 10% over the past one month. Onion arrivals in benchmark markets Lasalgoan and Pimpalgaon have increased from this month which drive prices downward. The modal prices in Lasalgaon and Pimpalgoan on 21st March, 2025 were Rs.1330/qtl and Rs.1325/qtl, respectively.
As per the estimates of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, rabi production this year at 227 lakh tonnes is over 18% higher than 192 lakh tonnes last year.
The rabi onion which accounted for 70-75% of India's total onion production is crucial for overall availability and stability in prices till the arrival of kharif crop from October/November onward.
The estimated higher production this season is expected to further ease the market prices in coming months.
The emerging production and prices scenario came as a welcome breather for the country which had to grapple with the twin issues of lower domestic production and high international prices from August, 2023.