Responding to the request from the countries, India approved export of 10,000 tonnes of onion each to Sri Lanka and UAE despite the ban on onion-export

India has allowed export of 10,000 tonnes of onion each to Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through the National Cooperatives Exports Cooperative, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification late on Monday 15 April.

With this, India has approved as much as 99,160 tonnes of onions for export overriding a ban on shipments imposed in December 2023.   

The government recently approved an additional 10,000 tonnes of onion export to the UAE over and above the 14,400 tonnes allowed on 1 March.

Tight global supplies and a dry spell induced by the El Niño weather phenomenon had prompted the government to restrict onion exports during the 2023-24 financial year. On 8 December 2023, the government had banned the export of onions till 31 March 2024. This has now been extended indefinitely.

The DGFT notification said export of onions will, however, be allowed on permission granted by the central government based on requests made by the countries.

With rising onion prices, the central government has been releasing the staple vegetable from its buffer stock… The government aims to procure 500,000 tonnes of onion in the 2024-25 rabi season