NAFED under Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperation has floated a tender for import of about 50,000 metric ton of onions to augment supplies of the commodity during lean period in the country.  Actual quantity to be imported by NAFED will depend upon the requirement of onions received from various State and Union Territory Governments and their concurrence to the rates received in the tender invited by NAFED.  The data of import of onions for the last three years, including current year is as follows:

IMPORT OF ONION (HS CODE 070310)

YEAR	QTY(MT)	VAL (RS LAKH)
2011-12	12.8	6.64
2012-13	450.0	30.30
2013-14	17,846.88	3,340.86
2014-15 (APR TO MAY)	NIL	NIL

Note: Figures for 2013-14 and 2014-15(Apr to May) are provisional.

The export policy on agricultural products is dynamic in nature and it depends on various factors, including availability of surplus over and above the requirement of buffer stock including strategic reserve, concerns of food security, diplomatic / humanitarian considerations, international demand and supply situation, quality standards in the importing countries, varieties traded and price competitiveness, need to balance between remunerative prices to the growers and availability of agricultural products to common man at affordable prices.  The Government reviews the situation of availability of agricultural products in the country from time to time and takes a decision in view of the above factors.

The information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Import tender for onions: NAFED may procure imports to augment supplies, subject to state requirements and rate concurrence. NAFED has issued a tender to import onions to augment domestic supplies, with actual imports contingent on requirements from State and Union Territory governments and their concurrence with tendered rates. Provisional historical import data are provided. The government treats trade measures for agricultural products as dynamic instruments, guided by buffer stock considerations, food security, international demand and supply, quality standards, price competitiveness, and the need to balance growers' remuneration with consumer affordability, and it reviews availability periodically to decide interventions.