The decision makers in Islamabad believe that banning onion export will increase its rival’s woes and reduce public pressure in their own country, while a reciprocal ban on tomato exports will be curtailed through the easily available curd.
Pakistan is convinced it will win the vegetable war with India.
The decision makers in Islamabad believe that banning onion export will increase its rival’s woes and reduce public pressure in their own country, while a reciprocal ban on tomato exports will be curtailed through the easily available curd.
Pakistan would not lift the ban on onion export via land route to India and would even impose a ban on exports via the sea route as Sri Lanka too has started looking towards Pakistan to counter the massive hike in domestic prices of the vegetable, a commerce ministry source said.
The ban was imposed after realising that within a few days 31,000 tonnes of onion had been exported to India through the Wagah land route, he said. Pakistani traders exported onion at an average of Rs51 per kg (Rs25 in India), significantly lower than local prices.
According to media reports on Sunday, Pakistan is meeting most of its domestic onion demand from the 53,000 tonnes produced from Sindh.
Half the produce from Sindh has been consumed and the remaining is likely to last till March. The next harvest from Punjab would only be available around mid-April.
Onion prices in Pakistan had increased to Rs80 per kg, but have fallen to Rs40 per kg after the ban came into force.
In India, onion price per kilogram has risen to the equivalent of 150 Pakistan rupees, while the price in Sri Lanka is around 350 Pakistani rupees per kilo.
Meanwhile, in Lucknow so as to provide relief to consumers from high onion prices, the district administration has decided to set up 200 outlets and sell the vegetable at lesser rates. The move came after onion price started soaring in the local market after a brief gap.
Currently, onion is being sold at the rate of Rs 50 per kg in the local market.
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