After nod for Gujarat onion exports, Centre seeks to soothe Maharashtra farmers

Centre faces backlash over white onion exports from Gujarat amid extended ban, sparking criticism and controversy among farmers and politicians.

After its move to permit exports of 2,000 tonnes of white onions from Gujarat, amid an extended ban on onion shipments, drew criticism from Opposition leaders and Maharashtra’s onion farmers, the Centre seemed to have stepped into damage control mode with the Consumer Affairs Ministry stating that 99,150 tonnes of exports have been allowed.

The statement, coming hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first rally in western Maharashtra on Saturday, was welcomed by BJP leaders in the State, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who asserted it will help Maharashtra’s farmers.

However, horticulture exporters and farmers’ bodies in the State have dismissed the statement as a repackaging of export quotas for six countries already announced over the past two months. “There is no new notification or fresh export window. In any case, just about 6,000 tonnes of onions have actually been shipped from the 99,150 tonnes allowed so far through various notifications,” a Maharashtra-based exporter told The Hindu.

The ban on onion exports has been in place since last December and was extended indefinitely last month. In early March, the Centre permitted 50,000 tonnes of onions to be exported to Bangladesh, 14,400 tonnes for the UAE, and around 5,000 tonnes for Bhutan, Maldives and Bahrain. This month, an additional 20,000 tonnes have been approved for the UAE and 10,000 tonnes for Sri Lanka.

All these exports must be channelled through the National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL). However, white onion exports have been permitted without NCEL’s involvement, and without specifying a destination country.

“As the largest producer of onion in the country, Maharashtra is the major supplier of onions sourced by NCEL for export,” the Ministry statement said, adding that exports of white onion have been allowed as they are “cultivated specially for export markets in the Middle East and some European countries”.

“Once again, Maharashtra faces injustice from the BJP, only to benefit Gujarat. Why can’t both States be given equal treatment? Why is BJP so anti-Maharashtra?” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray had said in a social media post on Saturday, citing the notification that enabled the export of white onions certified by the Gujarat Horticulture Commissioner.