Govt looks towards Pak to end onion crisis
26 Oct 2013 5:40 AM IST
With long-queues outside the shanties put-up by Delhi government to sell onions giving nightmares to Congress leaders who are battling main opponent BJP in the assembly polls for the states, the centre is now running helter-skelter to pump supplies.
According the industry sources, with price zooming past Rs 100 per kg, the government has floated tender inviting supplies from Pakistan, Iran and Eygpt. Government has sought onions from China too, which produces bulbous root of a different variety and may not suit the Indian palate.
Food minister KV Thomas on Friday said onion prices will come down in the next 10 days with the fresh arrival of imported stock. Thomas said the decision on onion import tender floated by the co-operative Nafed would be taken on October 29 following which shipments would arrive after 3-4 days.
However, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has insisted that costs would take another 21 days to come down as fresh stocks from the fields would arrive only by mid-November. Pawar, who represents the onion producing western Maharashtra region has ensured that there has been no ban on the export of onions, which is fetching the traders high price in view of the rising value of the US dollar.
India is the world’s second-largest onion grower after China, and also exports onions in large quantity. When asked why did not the government stop onion export in view of the scarcity in the local market, an agriculture ministry official said, ‘if we ban exports, we would lose space to other countries in the international market. We can’t afford to lose it.’
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