Date:02/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/03/02/stories/2007030200621200.htm

Back Onion exports top record 1 m tonnes

Our Bureau

New Delhi, March 1 For the first time, onion exports from the country have crossed one million tonnes (mt).

This comes even as the Centre, through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed), has announced curbs on shipments through steep increases in the minimum export price (MEP) of the commodity.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the total quantum of onion exports during the current fiscal stood at 10.23 lakh tonnes (lt), valued at Rs 870 crore, as on February 17.In the last five years, onion exports have more than doubled in both quantity and value terms.

During 2005-06, total exports stood at 7.78 lt, the major destinations being Bangladesh (3.50 lt), Malaysia (1.17 lt), UAE (0.85 lt), Sri Lanka (0.74 lt), Pakistan (0.41 lt), Nepal (0.27 lt), Singapore (0.16 lt), Bahrain (0.14 lt) and Mauritius (0.11 lt).