No takers for Indian onions in Gulf

No takers for Indian onions in Gulf
RAKSHIT SONAWANE

NASHIK JANUARY 3: Relaxation of the ban on onion exports and the State Government's decision to buy onions from farmers at higher than the market price may come to a nought with no buyers for Indian onions in the international markets after Pakistani exporters priced their consignments at a competitive price.

According to onion exporter Ashok Shah, exporters from Pakistan and China have edged out Indian exporters from the international markets, mainly the Gulf countries, taking advantage of the absence of Indian exporters over the last one year.

He pointed out that while the minimum export price of Indian onions was fixed at US $ 205 per tonne, exporters from Pakistan and China were selling the commodity for as low as US $ 160 per tonne in the Dubai market. He said that though the overseas buyers had preferred Indian onions in the past, the price gap had given a blow to Indian exporters.

He further said that the only solution was to lower the minimum export price so that Indian exporters could sell thecommodity at a competitive price. He said that the other alternative was to wait for about a month, till the flow of commodity from Pakistan and China slowed down.

He said that the Indian commodity would have still been sold if priced slightly higher (by about US $ 10 to US $ 20 per tonne) than the competitors.

According to a senior NAFED official, the Indian exporters had been edged out of the international markets as onions from Pakistan and China were cheaper. He said that the alternative was to lower the price of Indian onions.