An empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on food will meet on Tuesday to decide on allowing onion exports less than a fortnight after banning the shipments to ease supplies. Political parties, traders and farmers in the largest onion-growing state of Maharashtra have been protesting against the ban.
“We will take a view tomorrow,” said Sharad Pawar, Union agriculture minister and a veteran leader from Maharashtra. Asked whether the EGoM would lift the ban, he said, “Let us see.” Sources said the agriculture ministry would ask the EGoM to allow onion exports.
Food minister K V Thomas has said any decision to lift the restriction will factor in the interest of both consumers as well as farmers.
The EGoM, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, had on September 8 decided to ban onion exports after prices rose by up to 65% in some regions to R25 a kg due to a lower availability of the kitchen bulb — a key driver of high food inflation in recent months ? following a delay in the crop’s sowing this summer.
Significantly, onion shortage and skyrocketing prices during the festival season starting September has been a recurrent feature almost each of the past three years.