India is set to receive the first consignment of some 1,000 tonnes of onions imported from Pakistan this week in a bid to ease its domestic onion supply and price crisis, reports the Hindustan Times.
India's commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma commissioned the short-term importswith the goal of lowering onion prices in India, which surged in December because of rain damage to crops in main producer region Maharashtra.
The Indian government has taken several steps to lower onion prices, which are politically sensitive, such as banning exports and abolishing import tariffs.
India produces some 12m tonnes of onions, a kitchen staple, of which 1.8m tonnes were exported last fiscal year, the Hindustan Times said.
