Government has lifted the onion export prohibition from 4th May, 2024 and has allowed the export with minimum export price of (MEP) of USD 550 per MT and export duty of 40%. Till 31st July, 2024, a total quantity of 2.60 lakh tons of onion had been exported in current financial year 2024-25. Further, the Government had procured 4.68 lakh tons, majorly from Maharashtra, through NCCF and NAFED for the price stabilisation buffer. In comparison with last year (2023), the price realisation by onion farmers in current year has been much higher. The average monthly mandi modal prices of onion in Maharashtra between April and July, 2024 were in the range of Rs.1,230 to Rs.2,578 per quintal as against Rs.693 to Rs.1,205 per quintal for corresponding period last year (2023). The average procurement price of onion for the buffer in current year was Rs.2,833 per quintal which is 64% higher than the procurement price of Rs.1,724 per quintal last year.
India is a net exporter of onion and earns income from the export. The net export value earned by India for each of the last three years were Rs.3,326.99 crore in 2021-22, Rs.4,525.91 crore in 2022-23 and Rs.3,513.22 crore in 2023-24.
Statistics regarding State-wise production of onion during each of the last three years and annual household consumption of onion calculated from the report of Household Consumption Survey, 2022-23 of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) are given at Annexure-I.
Details of country-wise export and import of onion during last three years are given at Annexure-II.
Annexure-I
State-wise Production of Onion during each of the last three years (2021-22 to 2023-24) and annual household consumption 2022-23 in Lakh Metric Tons.
| States | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | Annual Household Consumption 2022-23* |
| Andhra Pradesh | 5.13 | 9.56 | 7.23 | 7.64 |
| Bihar | 13.88 | 13.44 | 13.75 | 20.88 |
| Chhattisgarh | 3.80 | 3.93 | 3.88 | 3.89 |
| Gujarat | 20.57 | 20.47 | 25.55 | 10.55 |
| Haryana | 5.41 | 5.38 | 5.14 | 5.82 |
| Karnataka | 16.38 | 26.65 | 27.80 | 9.79 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 41.66 | 52.62 | 47.41 | 10.87 |
| Maharashtra | 86.02 | 120.33 | 136.69 | 17.13 |
| Odisha | 3.69 | 3.69 | 3.69 | 6.37 |
| Punjab | 2.67 | 2.49 | 2.45 | 5.60 |
| Rajasthan | 16.31 | 16.15 | 14.48 | 9.29 |
| Tamil Nadu | 4.38 | 5.25 | 6.08 | 14.32 |
| Telangana | 1.00 | 1.29 | 1.77 | 3.37 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 5.77 | 5.11 | 5.09 | 27.64 |
| West Bengal | 8.85 | 8.92 | 8.96 | 14.23 |
| NCT Delhi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.52 |
| Others | 6.62 | 6.79 | 6.92 | 23.71 |
| All India | 242.12 | 302.08 | 316.87 | 193.61 |
Sources: Onion production is from Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare;
* Annual Household Consumption is calculated from the Report of Household Consumption Survey, 2022-23 of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
ANNEXURE-II
| Country-wise export of Onion by India in Lakh Metric Tons | |||
| Country | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
| BANGLADESH PR | 6.59 | 6.71 | 7.24 |
| SRI LANKA DSR | 1.63 | 2.71 | 1.7 |
| MALAYSIA | 1.7 | 3.93 | 1.67 |
| U ARAB EMTS | 1.23 | 4.03 | 1.55 |
| NEPAL | 1.68 | 1.76 | 0.81 |
| INDONESIA | 0.38 | 1.17 | 0.47 |
| VIETNAM SOC REP | 0.18 | 0.76 | 0.47 |
| QATAR | 0.33 | 0.8 | 0.34 |
| OMAN | 0.15 | 0.62 | 0.28 |
| KUWAIT | 0.24 | 0.45 | 0.28 |
| OTHERS | 1.27 | 2.13 | 1.27 |
| TOTAL | 15.39 | 25.27 | 16.07 |
| Country-wise import of Onion by India in Metric Tons | |||
| Country | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
| AFGHANISTAN | 23,727.16 | 0 | 20,088.45 |
| EGYPT A RP | 1,475.10 | 0 | 0 |
| IRAN | 812 | 0 | 428.06 |
| KOREA RP | 0.09 | 0 | 0 |
| TURKEY | 372.69 | 0 | 0 |
| U ARAB EMTS | 2,125.56 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 28,512.60 | 0 | 20,516.52 |
Source: Trade Statistics, Ministry of Commerce and Industry