India’s onion export ban extension leaves SL importers in a dilemma

9 December 2023 05:52 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 28 Bookmark

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Colombo Dec 9 (Daily Mirror) - With India extending the ban on exports of onion until March, next year, Sri Lankan importers are in a quandary to meet the local requirement, a spokesperson said.

India has done so to increase the availability of onion in the domestic market and to keep prices in check. Sri Lanka depends mainly on India for its onion requirement because local production is small.

A spokesperson for the Essential Food Commodities Importers and Traders Association told Daily Mirror that importers were exploring alternative suppliers. Sri Lanka imports around 20,000 tonnes of onion every month.

“It is a perishable item. So, we place orders for weekly shipments. It is challenging for us to look to different markets because prices are very expensive,” he said.

A ship was due yesterday.

The price of onion has increased to around Rs.300 a kilo in the local retail market.

Comments - 28

Establish supplies from Other Countries Too Saturday, 09 December 2023 06:53 AM

All important commodities being imported should have back up suppliers from other parts of the world too. As the saying goes, don’t place all your eggs in one basket!

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More locally made Products Needed Sunday, 10 December 2023 09:28 AM

Also increasing the local production of daily use products.

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Mahila Saturday, 09 December 2023 06:53 AM

The Northern farmers made SL self-sufficient in the 70's and all those Framers have migrated since 1978! Probably, ask a Loan to bridge the Gap in Prices from alternate suppliers as temporary measure??? Suren Raghavan, who met President RW recently GOOD prospect!!!???

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We failed to appreciate our local talent Saturday, 09 December 2023 07:03 AM

There was a time when onions were in short supply in Lanka and thanks to the Jaffna farmers who rose to the occasion and met the demand. Where are they now? Same land is available. But the farmers? Are they now Canadian citizens, who have come back to occupy a seat in Parliament?

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Lion Saturday, 09 December 2023 07:05 AM

Looks this precious commodity out of which cocking a curry is impossible, will go up in price further putting the lives of Srilankans in disarray.

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Mike Saturday, 09 December 2023 08:14 AM

Grow our own , support local Farmers

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Amaran Saturday, 09 December 2023 08:08 PM

Yes, This is the solution. Farmers have been totallt neglected for a long period AFTER SRIMAVO BANDARANAYAKE.

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Indian big onions cheaper and better quality Sunday, 10 December 2023 10:52 PM

We can export our higher quality Ceylon tea to the Indians and import the big onions. Not point trying to grow it all, and lose out on the big foreign exchange cash crops. Anyway, well known that no one nearby can export to India as India has better quality and produced cheaper than anyone in South Asia.

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Jude Saturday, 09 December 2023 10:12 AM

Dumbass lankans can't grow even onions!! It takes typically 100 days of growing to produce decent sized bulbs. Most Lankans like to watch Crap on TV then watch Pono on cellphone!! Yeah.

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Tissa Fernando Sunday, 10 December 2023 07:30 AM

India and Sri Lanka have the same climate so why can't we grow onions here? You are right jude our guys are used for free everything and teledramas.

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Fred Saturday, 09 December 2023 10:33 AM

Whats the big problem, just grow your own, Sri Lanka has one of the most fertile soils in the world with a tradition of farming or are waiting for foreign aid. for that.

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Aiyo my country Saturday, 09 December 2023 10:40 AM

If India can grow onions and export why cannot Sri Lanka do it. Our soil is more fertile. The whole problem here is that our MPs want commission, so they destroy our local farmers from the root. What a miserable set of Modayas we have in our parliament.

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Jayantha Saturday, 09 December 2023 12:21 PM

Why depend on india. You can import from other neighbors too.

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sam Saturday, 09 December 2023 12:48 PM

So many unemployed so this product could be grown locally.

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R. Daya Saturday, 09 December 2023 12:49 PM

Very good opportunity to grow locally. Support the farmers and we will become self sufficient and save foreign exchange. This is the high time to support the local farmers and increase the import tax so that the local farmers can prosper, we will not have shortages.

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Mohamed Burhan Saturday, 09 December 2023 01:45 PM

Time to time these temporary set backs between Importer and Indian exporter are their is their and Will be their due to economic reasons.nothing special to crow about.normalcy will be their in due course as we have seen repeatedly.

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Karalasingam Sivalingam Saturday, 09 December 2023 02:04 PM

Big onions could be cultivated in large scale in Sri Lanka, why depend on any other country for this commodity, provide seeds, fertiliser, bank loans on easy terms, to our farmers, in six months self sufficient could be met. What is the Agriculture Department doing,?

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Mohamed Burhan Saturday, 09 December 2023 04:09 PM

Big onions are increasingly used by sri lankans for any food you name it.day by day increasing in consuming quantity .equal to sugar.no doubt we are producing in big quantity.not enough.If to be completely self sufficient without importing at all we have to stop growing other vegetables and only grow big onions.main reason not much profit in a kg.say Rs.300 oer kg selling price.say profit Rs.150 per kg .can make much profit oer kg on other vegetables.Also onions cannot be kept long tobe sold the full lot immediately. Easy thing is to import.

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Manithan Saturday, 09 December 2023 04:25 PM

My neighbour in Jaffna was storing small onions for long time some years ago due to low maket price. He did this for few years. But he couldn't get proper price. Finally he stopped cultivating onion. This is one example for our policy on self sufficiency.

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Navary Saturday, 09 December 2023 08:35 PM

Very good. Why does SL need to import Onions when we can grow here in SL. Jaffna gives us a good harvest. lets do without imports. Every damn thing is import... import. we have Ministers to see that we are self sufficient on food that can be grown in SL.

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Kumar Saturday, 09 December 2023 09:46 PM

Sri lankan army occupied Tamils farm land in the North and East. Sri lankan since independence can't produce home solutions for Onions

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Jeevaratnehule Sunday, 10 December 2023 01:44 PM

Kumar@Are you implying the Jaffna Tamils are not part of Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka security forces shall occupy any part of the island as per operational and security considerations and including the North and East as other parts of the country.

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Karma Sunday, 10 December 2023 01:37 AM

In the early 1970's we faced both Onion and chili shortage. The government of the time gave incentive to farmers and allowed a free market price. Framers from the North came to the rescue of the country and in the process made a good living. Lalith Athulathmudali could not afford to see Jaffna man benefiting out of this situation. He resorted to importing these commodities from India at cut price and killed off this industry in the North. Some five decades later we face the same shortage and the whole country goes berserk - why? short sighted policies driven by blood thirsty evil politicians who have no vison for the future of the country.

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lalith Sunday, 10 December 2023 11:49 AM

When we can't grow onions can our politicians., the current fellows...... Manage the country.,... Call for election

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Modaya Sunday, 10 December 2023 11:52 AM

Oh god! an onion crisis! Minister of Agriculture seems fast sleep like a shepherd who has let his sheep to a meadow and sleep under a tree until sun sets.

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mario Monday, 11 December 2023 04:57 AM

Just tell India that you would import from China and Pakistan and see how quickly the onions would flow in.

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lalith Monday, 11 December 2023 12:10 PM

India couldn't care less as they have a big domestic market and a big... Very big middle East and iran market

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NV JEN Monday, 11 December 2023 01:34 PM

Lalith Atulathmudali purposefully allowed imports when onions were harvested to kill the Jaffna farmers. Such botched policies have brought eventually bankruptcy to the nation, while widening the rift between communities. Course correction and system change are the need of the hour.

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