The ban on the exports of onions in Kazakhstan has been suspended since April 8, 2023. Nevertheless, the exports will be limited. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture to ElDala.kz.
Quantitative restrictions (quotas) on the exports of onions of 20 000 tonnes from the Republic of Kazakhstan will be in effect from April 8 to April 28, 2023.
“For this period, a limit is set for the exports of no more than 500 tonnes of onions by one applicant,” the Ministry of Agriculture specified.
Quotas for the exports of goods from Kazakhstan are distributed automatically in the EASU information system when issuing phytosanitary certificates in accordance with the rules for protecting the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan from quarantine objects and alien species.
A ban on the exports of onions for three months was introduced in Kazakhstan on January 28. The decision was made by the Interdepartmental Commission to prevent the mass exports of onions and stabilize their price. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the booming foreign demand for Kazakh onions is associated with natural disasters in Pakistan, one of the largest onion producers in Asia and globally. Floods in Pakistan caused a global increase in prices for onions, including in the Kazakh market.
Additional pressure on prices was exerted by severe frosts in the southern regions of Kazakhstan, as well as in Uzbekistan, where a large volume of onions was spoiled.
At the same time, agricultural producers asked not to ban exports, since onion stocks in Kazakhstan exceed the needs of the domestic market, and part of the crop would rot without finding a buyer.
For more information: east-fruit.com