Onion export regulations drive down the prices in Turkey

Onion farm gate prices were as high as 1 USD per kg last year which caused the government to institute an export ban on onion to ensure product availability in the domestic market and to stop the price increase.

The export ban, along with the declining domestic consumption from 5 tons to 2 tons per day due to the shutdown of many restaurants because of the Covid19 outbreak, caused onion prices to drop as low as 0.08 USD per kg this season to the dismay of growers.

The decision of allowing exports at a limited amount also came too late which caused Turkish exporters miss all the orders from Russia which sourced onions from Egypt instead of Turkey.