The retail price of onions has risen sharply since the end of August 2020 (File)
New Delhi:
The government on Wednesday eased import standards until Dec. 15 to facilitate early onion shipping to boost domestic supply and verify retail prices for the kitchen’s staple food.
The Union’s Consumer Affairs Ministry, in a statement, said it would also unload more onion from its buffer stock in the open market to contain the price hike.
An estimated Kharif harvest of 37 lakh ton is likely to start arriving in the Mandis, which will give a respite from the rising prices, he added.
According to the ministry, a sharp rise in onion prices over the past 10 days of Rs 11.56 / kg has brought the product’s retail price across India to Rs 51.95 / kg, or 12, 13% more than last year ” price of Rs 46.33 / kg.
The retail price of onion showed a marked increase between the end of August 2020, although the price point was lower than last year until October 18, he said.
To facilitate the importation of onion, the ministry said, “the government relaxed on October 21 the conditions for fumigation and additional declaration on the phytosanitary certificate (PSC) under the plant quarantine order (PQ), 2003 for import until December 15, 2020 “. .
Indian High Commissions have been tasked in the countries concerned with contacting traders to lobby for an increase in onion imports into the country.
These imported onion consignments, which arrive at Indian ports without fumigation or approval to do so on the PSC, would be fumigated in India by the importer through an approved processing provider.
If the stem and bulb nematode (Ditylenchus Dipsaci) or onion maggot (Hylimia Antiqua) is detected, it would be fumigated and shipments would be released without additional inspection fees.
“A commitment will be obtained from importers that the onion will be used only for consumption and not for propagation,” the ministry said.
Such consignments of onions for consumption will not be subject to four times an additional inspection fee due to non-compliance with import conditions under the PQ Order of 2003, he added. .
In order to moderate prices, the ministry said that the onion from the buffer stock is being released in a calibrated manner from the second half of September 2020 to major mandis, retail suppliers such as Safal, Kendriya Bhandar and NCCF as well as state governments.
“More will be done in the coming days,” he added.
In September, the government said it had taken a preventive measure by announcing an onion export ban to ensure availability to domestic consumers at reasonable rates during the lean season before the arrival of Kharif onion. .
If the rate at which retail prices have increased has been >, recent incidents of heavy rains in the onion production districts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have >. said the ministry.
“These developments on the climate front have led to a sharp increase in onion prices,” he added.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
