Dipak K Dash
NEW DELHI: With an eye on elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, govt on Monday eased export curbs on onions and basmati rice, while announcing measures related to wheat and pulses amid indications of softening prices.
It abolished Minimum Export Price (MEP) of $550 (Rs 46,138) per tonne on onions and slashed the export duty by half to 20% ahead of Maharashtra assembly polls expected before the year end.It has also done away with MEP of $ 950 (Rs 79,680) per tonne on basmati rice, which was imposed last year. Haryana, which also goes to polls next month, is the biggest producer of basmati rice.
Other decisions included extension of free import of yellow peas till Dec and reduction in maximum wheat stock that wholesale traders and processors can keep at any given point of time till March 2025. Govt also greenlighted selling of subsidised atta, rice and dal under “Bharat” brand and onion to keep check on prices, officials said.
The series of decisions are aimed at boosting exports and curb fall in mandi prices amid signals of better kharif crops this year and to increase the availability of key kitchen items.
Meanwhile, on the pulses front, besides extending duty-free import of yellow peas, govt has decided to sell Bharat dal (chana) at a subsidised rate of Rs 70 per kg through e-commerce platform and outlets of Nafed, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandars from its buffer stocks. Govt will also sell moong dal (Rs 107) and masur (Rs 89) per kg from its buffer under Bharat dal initiative.
It abolished Minimum Export Price (MEP) of $550 (Rs 46,138) per tonne on onions and slashed the export duty by half to 20% ahead of Maharashtra assembly polls expected before the year end.It has also done away with MEP of $ 950 (Rs 79,680) per tonne on basmati rice, which was imposed last year. Haryana, which also goes to polls next month, is the biggest producer of basmati rice.
Other decisions included extension of free import of yellow peas till Dec and reduction in maximum wheat stock that wholesale traders and processors can keep at any given point of time till March 2025. Govt also greenlighted selling of subsidised atta, rice and dal under “Bharat” brand and onion to keep check on prices, officials said.
The series of decisions are aimed at boosting exports and curb fall in mandi prices amid signals of better kharif crops this year and to increase the availability of key kitchen items.
Meanwhile, on the pulses front, besides extending duty-free import of yellow peas, govt has decided to sell Bharat dal (chana) at a subsidised rate of Rs 70 per kg through e-commerce platform and outlets of Nafed, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandars from its buffer stocks. Govt will also sell moong dal (Rs 107) and masur (Rs 89) per kg from its buffer under Bharat dal initiative.