(a) whether the prices of onions will shoot up if export restrictions are removed in the
country;
(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the production recorded during 2000-01 and 2002-03;
and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to hold the price line so that the poor man`s
consumption and pocket are not badly hit?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI HUKUMDEO NARAYAN YADAV)
(a) to (c): The removal of export restrictions will not have any adverse impact on onion
prices due to higher production and easy availability at reasonable prices. The mechanism of
canalization of exports through the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of
India Ltd. (NAFED) and other State designated agencies and the Inter-Ministerial Review
Committee (IMRC) to review periodically the availability, prices and export of onion have been
retained to protect the interest of the consumers.
The production of onion during 2000-2001 has been estimated by the Government at
45.51 lakh tonnes while the production for 2002-2003 has been placed at 54.89 lakh tonnes by
the National Horticultural Research Development Foundation (NHRDF).