NEW DELHI: In an effort to curb surging local prices, India has imposed a ban on exports of onions until March 31, 2024, according to a government order issued on Thursday.

A notification issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) also put conditions for exports. “Further, consignments of onions will be allowed to be exported on fulfilment of any one of the following three conditions: i. where loading of onions on the ship has commenced before this Notification; ii. where the shipping bill is filed and vessels have already berthed or arrived and anchored in Indian ports for loading of onion and their rotation number has been allocated before this Notification; The approval of loading in such vessels will be issued only after confirmation by the concerned Port Authorities regarding anchoring/berthing of the ship for loading of onions prior to the Notification; and iii. where consignments of onions has been handed over to the Customs before this Notification and is registered in their system / where consignments onions has entered the Customs Station for exportation before this Notification and is registered in the electronic systems of the concerned Custodian of the Customs Station with verifiable evidence of date and time stamping of these commodities having entered the Customs Station prior to issuance of this Notification. The period of export shall be up to 5th January, 2024,” reads the notification.

India had previously imposed a minimum export price of $800 per metric ton, until Dec. 31, 2023.