NEW DELHI: The Government will not ban export of onions despite a shortfall of 20 to 25 per cent in production this season, but if need be import the commodity, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told a press conference here on Tuesday.

Responding to the shortfall in sowing of oilseeds this kharif, he said import of edible oil was already allowed under Open General Licence and would continue. Although the kharif sowing prospects were ``good'' it was too early to say if production would be on par.

As the kharif sowing season comes to a close, nine sub-divisions including parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, coastal Andhra Pradesh and North-East have received deficient rainfall this monsoon affecting cropping.

The onion supply position had been affected due to blockage of transportation routes and floods in Maharashtra, the major onion producing State. Added to this are reports of hoarding by big farmers and traders resulting in onion prices shooting up. In Delhi onions were selling at Rs. 21 a kg in some retail markets on Monday.

Mr. Pawar said availability would improve with the arrival of late kharif onion crop from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh in the next few weeks.

Shortfall in oilseeds

The Minister said there was a shortfall of 6.23 lakh hectares in the cultivation of kharif oilseeds this season.

As against coverage of 174.69 lakh hectares last year, the sowing of oilseeds this year had been 168.46 lakh hectares.

The coverage under groundnut is 54.90 lakh hectares against 57.04 lakh hectares last year mainly due to lesser coverage in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Soyabean sowing was also lower by 2.26 lakh hectares this year owing to reduced coverage in Madhya Pradesh, the major soyabean-producing State in the country. Coverage is lower in Karnataka also due to delayed arrival of monsoon there.

The sowing of sunflower oilseed crop is also marginally lower this year owing to less coverage in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

However, the last good spell of rainfall has revived hopes of coverage being on a par with last year. The sowing of sesame and niger has also been below par so far.

Marginally higher

The area under coarse cereals, cotton and jute is marginally higher than last year, although the coverage of bajra is lower than last year.

The acreage lost in Rajasthan — the major coarse cereal growing State — is 36 per cent of the normal production this kharif.

However, the area sown under rice in the country is higher by 7.98 lakh hectares this year compared to last year.

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