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India to export onions to Maldives despite domestic shortages

Embassy of India in Maldives has assured India will continue exporting onions to Maldives despite its decision to import 100,000 tonnes to meet the onion shortages and spiralling prices.

Maldives experienced difficulties with the shortages initially, with the challenges in exporting onion from Tuticorin Port, India, spiralling the prices in the Maldivian market to USD 3.89 and USD 4.54 per kilogram. However, solutions to the challenges in importing onion from Tuticorin saw the price of onion in the Maldivian market fall to USD 1.17 per kilogram.

The Government of India has decided to import 100,000 tonnes of onion from other countries amid onion shortages in India. The largest producer of onions is experiencing shortages as farms were affected by the monsoon rain. With the shortages, India stopped exporting onions to other countries although Maldives was exempted under a special permit. India annually produces 19.3 million tonnes of onions which is worth around USD 500 million.