India’s onion exports remain critical to international trade, but exporters continue to face challenges from unpredictable weather and restrictive trade policies, says Kiran Gandurde, Co-founder of Matoshree Fresh Foods. “The current red onion season started much later than usual. Normally, we would see new crop arrivals by October, but prolonged rains pushed that back by 20 to 35 days. This delay means the first shipments of red onions from Nashik to Vietnam and Indonesia are just being arranged.”
Gangurde highlights, “The red onion season will start in full swing by late November or early December and last until late February. We still do have 30 to 40% of the older Garwa crop with farmers of Nashik and Madhya Pradesh, which should last until the end of the year.”
The market outlook for the upcoming weeks remains complicated with prevailing weather risks, Gangurde warns. “If December brings more rain as forecasted, we may see 25–30% of the red onion crop losses, in turn impacting availability, exports, and prices. Wholesale prices currently stand at USD 0.20 to 0.23 per kg for Garwa onions and USD 0.23 to 0.28 per kg for export-quality red onions.”
Gangurde points to the impact of ongoing import restrictions in Bangladesh by their government to protect local farmers: “With old stocks nearly exhausted and the new red onion crop expected to arrive only late December or January, Bangladesh’s traders are eager to import Indian onions, but government import permissions remain pending. This has driven prices sharply higher and caused market instability. If the ban is lifted, we could see domestic prices rise by up to USD 0.05 per kg.”
According to Gandurde, India holds a competitive edge with the distinctive flavor of Nashik onions, favoured globally by the hotel industry for gravies and culinary uses. “Nashik onions stand out for their unique taste, which helps to maintain demand despite intense price competition from Pakistan. While the Pakistani Sindh region’s Red Onion season overlaps with ours, recent floods there have temporarily disrupted their supply.”
To secure expansion into high-value destinations like Europe and meet the demand of large supermarkets, Matoshree Fresh Foods is investing in supply chain transparency, Gangurde reveals. “We started using QR codes on packaging three years ago to provide traceability from farmer to export, including details on sourcing, pesticide use, and transit times.” While traceability adds to cost, he emphasizes it is essential for developed markets like Europe and Singapore.
Gangurde concludes, “With stable policies, grower resilience to erratic weather, and supply chain transparency, India can maintain its position in the global onion market even through challenging seasons.”
