Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has assured garlic traders to look into their concerns over illegal imports of the agri commodity, an official said on Saturday. A delegation of garlic traders met the minister on January 10 and highlighted difficulties faced by farmers and traders due to imports of Chinese garlic, the commerce ministry official said .
According to the traders, Chinese garlic is banned in India, but it is being brought into the country, which is hurting farmers and traders, apart from distorting the garlic market.
The traders have alleged that some imports were routed via Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq to circumvent the ban on Chinese imports.
“The minister assured them that the government will examine their petition and take strong action against illegal imports, if any,” the official added.
The country’s garlic imports stood at USD 7 million during April-October this fiscal. It was USD 31.4 million in 2023- 24.
About 80 per cent of the imports are coming from Afghanistan. Other major exporters to India include UAE, Iran and Egypt.