Iccha Sharma, Pune
A tragic accident occurred in the Leh district of Ladakh, resulting in the deaths of nine soldiers. The incident took place when a military truck skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge. According to reports from defence officials, the accident happened in the evening around 6:30 p.m. in the Kerry area of southern Ladakh’s Nyoma. Additionally, one official sustained injuries in the accident.
The national average price of onions was ₹30.72 per kilogram, with prices ranging from ₹10 per kilogram at Neemuch and Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh to ₹63 per kilogram in Champhai, Manipur. The new export duty came into immediate effect and is set to remain in place until December 31, 2023. The decision was prompted by concerns about the escalating exports and a need to ensure an ample supply of onions for the domestic market, especially during the upcoming festival season.
Rohit Kumar Singh, Consumer Affairs Secretary, explained that the government had auctioned two truckloads of onions in the Azadpur market, and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) auctioned three truckloads. The government plans to offload at least five truckloads per day in the coming week at rates of ₹23 and ₹22.5 per kilogram.
Singh noted that the announcement of the government’s offloading plans has already had a positive impact on the market, with expectations of further price reductions in the near future. He mentioned that private traders, who had been withholding their stocks, are now releasing them to avoid a potential crash in prices.
NCP leader and MP Supriya Sule raised concerns about the government’s actions and called for ensuring better prices for onion farmers. Responding to previous statements about a potential export ban or regulation, the Union Commerce Ministry clarified that onion exports remain “free” under the current policy, with only onion seed exports being “restricted.” About 9.75 lakh tonnes of onions have been exported in the ongoing financial year, with Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates being the major importers.
Ms Sule stated, “I was talking about what I was hearing from the ground. Farmers were telling me that there was a plan to ban or regulate the export. I requested that the Commerce Ministry drop this plan. I was told that there was no such plan. But now they are regulating the export of onions. There has to be a balance between the interests of farmers and consumers. Farmers should get remunerative prices. Consumers should get onions at a reasonable price. It is the duty of the government to ensure a win-win situation.”