First it was wheat, then rice, now onions are on India’s restricted list

MUMBAI (Bloomberg): India added onions to the nation’s expanding list of food staples slapped with sweeping export restrictions, as the government seeks to contain domestic prices ahead of a national election next year.

Overseas shipments of onions will be banned until March 31, although cargoes of vegetables that started loading prior to the notification can still be exported, the government said Friday. The ban follows government measures in August to release stockpiles of the staple to shield consumers from rising costs.