India Onion Export Ban Continues, But Neighbours to Get Shipments

01 March 2024

Amid export ban on onion that will continue till March 31, 2024, India has permitted fixed quantity of 69,160 tonne of onions to Bangladesh (50,000 tonne), the United Arab Emirates (14,400 tonne), Bahrain (3,000 tonne), Bhutan (560 tonne), and Mauritius (1,200 tonne). The government took the decision after receiving requests from several countries. According to a report, the ban is unlikely to be lifted even after March 31 as rabi (winter) onion production is expected to be lower due to less coverage of area especially in Maharashtra. Let’s have a look at India’s exports of onions to the world and neighbouring countries in the last past years.  

India to export onions to Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mauritius, UAE, despite ban

India exported onions worth USD 346 million to the world in 2020, that dollar amount increased in the subsequent years. Among neighbouring countries that were allowed to get onion shipments from India, Bangladesh is highly dependent on imports of Indian onions. Here’s data visualization of India’s exports of onions to Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mauritius, and the United Arab Emirates.   

 ****USD Value Million

Which top 10 countries are highly dependent on imports of Indian onions?

India’s top 10 export partners of onions in 2022 were Bangladesh, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Qatar, Vietnam, Oman, and Singapore. Visualize values of these countries in the given chart.

India is one of the biggest exporters of onions in the world

In 2022, India was the third-biggest onion exporter in the world. The Netherlands and China held the top positions in the global onion export market. Other players in the supply of onions were Mexico, the United States, Egypt, Spain, Poland, Peru, and France. The given chart shows values of these countries.

India’s onion export ban will continue as the government is closely monitoring onion crop availability and prices to take appropriate action in the best interests of both consumers and farmers. On October 29, 2023, the government established a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 800 per tonne for onion exports while also disposing of onion buffer stock.