MUMBAI: India’s ban on the export of onions has driven up prices of the vegetable for Asian buyers, who are scrambling for cheaper alternatives, particularly as New Delhi is unlikely to lift the curbs before elections next year.

The world’s biggest exporter of onions banned shipments on Dec 8 after domestic prices more than doubled in three months following a drop in production.

Now retail shoppers from Kathmandu to Colombo are struggling with high prices, since traditional Asian buyers, such as Bangladesh, Malaysia and Nepal, and even the United Arab Emirates, rely on imports from India to bridge domestic gaps.

“Onions are needed for almost everything we cook,” said Mousumi Akhtar, who works in the private sector in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. “This sudden price hike is tough to swallow. I’ve had to cut back on how much I buy.”

From the belacan shrimp paste of Malaysia and biryani in Bangladeshi to chicken chillies in Nepal or Sri Lankan fish curry, Asian consumers have built up a serious dependence on Indian supplies of onions to lend spice to their favourite dishes. Traders estimate that India accounts for more than half of all imports of onions by Asian countries.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2023