Onion export rises 18%, country earns Rs 2,023 crore.

India's onion  exports during the first eight months of the current financial year has increased by 18% to 13.46 lakh tonne, earning foreign currency worth Rs 2,023 crore. 

Maharashtra, a major onion exporting state, has recorded a marginal rise of 1% at 7.82 lakh tonnes, earning foreign currency worth Rs 1,214 crore.

Sources in the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which functions under the Union ministry of commerce and industry, said the bumper onion production and incentives for exports have led to the rise. 

"Factors like change in port for shipment from Mumbai to Gujarat and Chennai, coupled with reduction in dependency on Maharashtra's onions by other onion growing states are some of the reasons behind the marginal rise in exports from Maharashtra," sources said. Also, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have contributed significantly to the rise in onion exports.

"Export of onions from the storage began from June and continued till August end of the current financial year, while the export of fresh onions, particularly from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, began in the first week of September," said Manoj Jain, an onion trader from Lasalgaon.

"Maharashtra had good quantities of summer onions, but fresh onions from AP and Karnataka were available at the same rates. Hence, exporters preferred onions from these two states," said Jain.