Maha onion exports double in FY 2025-26 over previous fiscal after easing of Centre-imposed curbs

Nashik: Maharashtra’s onion exports more than doubled to 10.59 lakh tonnes in the financial year 2025-26 from almost 5 lakh tonnes in FY 2024-25. Exporters attributed the rebound to easing of Centre-imposed export curbs.

In FY 2024-25, Centre had imposed multiple curbs on onion exports, including a minimum export price (MEP) of $550 per tonne and a steep export duty of 40%. Although govt later eased these measures, removing the MEP and trimming the export duty to 20% on Sept 13, 2024, the duty remained in place till March 31, 2025, affecting export volumes for most of the financial year.

Data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) showed that the state earned Rs 2,406 crore in foreign exchange from onion exports in FY 2025-26, up from Rs 1,742 crore in the previous fiscal. “With easing of export restrictions in FY 2025-26, onion shipments picked up significantly, reaching 15.47 lakh tonnes by March,” Vikas Singh, vice-president of the Horticulture Produce Exporters Association of India (HPEA), said. “The removal of curbs helped boost both export volumes and earnings, particularly for Maharashtra,” he said.

At the national level, 15.47 lakh tonnes of onions were exported in FY 2025-26, generating Rs 3,515 crore in revenue. This marks an increase in volume from 11.47 lakh tonnes in FY 2024-25. Despite the higher export volume, overall earnings, however, had been higher in the previous fiscal at Rs 3,832 crore, reflecting the impact of pricing and policy changes.

Maharashtra continued to dominate India’s onion export landscape, accounting for nearly 68% of the country’s total exports during FY 2025-26. Within the state, Nashik district remained the key hub, contributing an estimated 80-90% of Maharashtra’s total onion exports.

Another notable trend during the year was the diversification of export markets. Traditionally, Bangladesh has been a major importer of Indian onions. However, its share in India’s onion exports declined sharply — from 42% in FY 2024-25 to just 6% in FY 2025-26. Exporters instead expanded their presence in alternative markets, including Sri Lanka, the UAE (Dubai), Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and several Gulf countries, leading to a more balanced export portfolio.

Looking ahead, the exporters remain optimistic about further growth in the current financial year 2026-27. They said if Centre maintained a stable export policy without imposing restrictions, India could match or even exceed the export performance of FY 2022-23, when onion shipments had reached 25 lakh tonnes.

“We have the potential to not only achieve but surpass the 25 lakh tonnes-mark this year, provided there are no policy disruptions. If global demand remains strong and exports continue smoothly, India could also strengthen its position against major competitors like China and Holland in the global onion market,” Singh added.