Will import potato, onion: Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30

In an effort to boost domestic supply and check price rise of onion and potato, private traders have imported 7,000 tonnes of onion and another 25,000 tonnes is expected to arrive before Diwali.

Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal today said Nafed too would start importing onion, adding that 30,000 tonnes of potato were being imported from Bhutan without licence to improve local supply and control the prices of the key commodity.

“Retail onion prices have been stable for the past three days at Rs 65 per kg. The government has taken proactive measures to check the price rise. Exports were banned timely. The government relaxed fumigation norms for import of onion till December,” he said.

Reining in prices

The govt has allowed import of potato from Bhutan without licence, a move aimed at boosting domestic supply and controlling the prices of the commodity.