NEW DELHI, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- India's state-owned trading enterprise Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC) has ordered an import of 11,000 tonnes of onions from Turkey, All India Radio reported Sunday.
The procurement order has been placed in view of rising onion prices in India.
"The consignment will begin arriving from late this month or early January," the state-run broadcaster said.
MMTC is procuring onions from outside on the orders of Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs.
Officials said the first consignment of 6,090 tonnes of onions procured by MMTC from Egypt will reach Mumbai port in the first week of this month.
Last month, the Indian government approved import of 120,000 tonnes of onions through MMTC. The move was aimed at improving the availability of onions in the domestic market.
Onion prices in various Indian states including the capital of New Delhi skyrocketed and price of one kilogram was at around 100 Indian rupees (1.41 U.S. dollars).
Onions which form the main ingredient of Indian meal are otherwise sold at around 20 Indian rupees (29 U.S. cents) a kilogram.
The vegetable dealers attribute the price rise of onions to a shortage in domestic supply.
Officials blame late monsoon and cyclones for impacting sowing and crop arrival from main producing centers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, thus creating a shortage in the market.
