Pakistan reaffirms ban on onion exports to India

ISLAMABAD - Citing shortages, Pakistan Monday reaffirmed a ban on the export of onions to India, officials said.

Pakistan had imposed the ban last week and reaffirmed this Monday after a meeting of the agriculture and commerce ministries, the official said.

“The decision will affect the agreements inked after January 5 this year. However, the government will provide protection to the agreements and Letter of Credit till January 4,” Geo TV reported.

“The decision has been taken in view of the shortage of onion crop in the country,” the channel said, quoting unnamed sources.

Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood had said a couple of days ago that “the ministry is looking into the requests made by stakeholders to allow export of onions to India”.

Pakistan’s commerce ministry had said Jan 4 that onions cannot be sent out of the country via the land route, which virtually meant a ban on its export to India, since its import through ships or air is time-consuming and costly.

India was receiving around 50 truckloads of onions a day from Pakistan since Dec 5.

The export of Indian tomatoes to Pakistan also remained on halt for more than a week that led to the increase of its prices in the local markets.

However, the tomato trade from India resumed last week when over 100 trucks reached Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province, through the Wagah border post.

Tomato and onion crops have been severely affected due to the floods last summer.