Export of certain onion varieties in limited quantities allowed

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday decided to give partial relief to onion exporters by easing restrictions on certain varieties of the staple for foreign shipments.

In a tweet, Minister for Railways and Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said: "Empowering farmers and increasing their income, the government permits export of Bangalore Rose and Krishnapuram onions of up to 10,000 MT each."

Accordingly, 'Bangalore Rose' and 'Krishnapuram' varieties up to 10,000 MT each can now be exported, subject to certain conditions.

"The export shipment of 'Bangalore Rose' onions shall be allowed only through the Chennai port and export to be completed by March 31, 2021," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

"An exporter shall have to get a certificate from the Horticulture Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, certifying the item and the quantity of 'Bangalore Rose' onions to be exported.

On 'Krishnapuram' variety, the DGFT mandated that exporters need to get certificates from the Assistant Director, Horticulture, Kadapa, government of Andhra Pradesh, certifying the quantity of onions for export purposes.

"The Customs Authorities at the Chennai port will allow export of 'Krishnapuram' onions on the basis of certificate from Assistant Director, Horticulture, Kadapa, and registration certificate from the office of Additional DGFT, Chennai, submitted by the exporter."

Last month, the Centre had prohibited export of onions with immediate effect .

In the revised policy issued in September, export of all varieties, including 'Bangalore Rose' and 'Krishnapuram' onions, excluding cut, sliced or broken in powder form, were prohibited.