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.
