India extends onion export ban indefinitely

India - the world's largest exporter of fruits and vegetables - in December 2023 imposed a ban on onion exports until March 31, 2024. Traders predict the ban will be lifted as domestic prices have more than halved since export restrictions were implemented. However, at the end of March 22, the Government announced that the ban would remain in place until further notice. A worker carries a bag of onions at a wholesale market in Kolkata, India - Photo: Reuters “The extension is surprising and completely unnecessary, considering the fall in prices due to increased supply of onions from the new crop,” said an executive director of a Mumbai-based export company. Onion prices at some wholesale markets in Maharashtra, the largest onion-producing state, have dropped to 1,200 rupees ($14) per 100 kg from 4,500 rupees in December, the person said. Countries such as Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates rely entirely on onion supplies from India and many ...