Lok Sabha Question No. 1621 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-08
Subject: Onion Production
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: CH. MALLA REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1621

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 8 TH   MARCH, 2016

## ONION PRODUCTION

1621.    SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the production of onion during each of the last three years and the current year in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the domestic demand and supply of onions during the said period;
- (c) the  quantity  and  value  of  onion  procured  by  the  National  Agricultural  Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and other agencies directly from farmers during the said period;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  banned  export  of  onion  so  as  to  ensure  adequate availability of onion for domestic consumption; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to arrest the trend of fall in price of onion in some States?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्राऱय में राज्य मंत्री (SHRI  MOHANBHAI  KUNDARIYA)

- (a): The details of the production of onion during each of the last three years and the current year in the country, State/UT-wise are at Annexure-I.
- (b): The details of domestic demand and supply of onion during the last three years and the current year are at Annexure-II.
- (c): In the current year 2015-16, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of  India  (NAFED)  and  Small  Farmers'  Agri  Business  Consortium  (SFAC)  together  procured 6011 MT of onion at a total cost of Rs.13.76 crore.  The procurement was done from Farmer Producer Organisation (FPOs)' Mandis and farmers.
- (d): No, Madam.

(e): The  steps taken by the government to arrest the trend of fall in prices of onion are as under:-

· Assistance is provided for development of infrastructure for post harvest management  and  marketing  such  as  storages,  Wholesale  Markets,  Rural  Primary Market, Kisan Mandies, etc.

· Facilitating  direct  marketing,  contract  farming,  setting  up  of  private  markets, farmer consumer markets and e-markets.

· Implementing Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for procurement of agricultural and  horticultural  commodities  including  onion,  under  which  losses,  if  any,  are  shared between the Central Government and the State Government concerned on 50:50 basis.

· Providing  market  information  to  farmers  on  prices  and  arrivals  of  agricultural commodities in regulated markets on AGMARKNET portal to enable the farmers to get better remunerative prices.

· Export of onion is free, subject to a Minimum Export Price (MEP) announced by the Government from time to time.  To boost exports, recently a new scheme has been launched namely "Merchandize Exports from India (MEIS)" under Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20, wherein the exporters/farmers are incentivized for export of their goods/products including onion and grapes to specified markets.

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