Exempt 'Bengaluru Rose' onions from export ban: Farmers

New Delhi: Amid ban on onion export to check domestic price rise, Karnataka farmers on Saturday urged the Centre to allow shipment of 10,000 tonnes of 'Bengaluru Rose' variety of onions to prevent the produce from damage as there is no demand in the domestic market.

A delegation of 'rose variety' onion growers led by Kolar BJP Lok Sabha member S Muniswamy met Union Chemical and Fertilisers Minister D V Sadananda Gowda here and requested him to take up the matter with concerned ministers of the Union government immediately.

"Sadananda Gowda assured the delegation that he will discuss the farmers' concern and write a letter in this regard to the Union Commerce Minister and Agriculture Minister," said a statement from Sandananda Gowda's office. The delegation said that farmers in Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts have grown more than 10,000 tonnes of 'Bengaluru Rose' onion this year.

"This variety is being exported to Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan because there is not much demand for it in the domestic market," the delegation said. Requesting the Centre to exempt 'Bengaluru Rose' onion from export ban, the delegation said, "If export of 10,000 tonnes is not allowed, then the entire quantity would be destroyed."

To check rising prices, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on September 14 had banned the export of onions, including 'Bengaluru Rose' onions and Krishnapuram onions (similar to rose variety). It may be recalled that although the Centre had banned the onion export last year also to contain price rise for certain period, the government had exempted 'Bengaluru Rose' on Karnataka government's request.