New Delhi, March 2 (IANS): The Centre on Monday decided to lift the export ban on onions from March 15.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification in this regard.

"The effect of the notification will be that the export of all varieties of onions has been made 'free' without any condition of 'Letter Of Credit' and 'Minimum Export Price', with effect from 15th March, 2020," the Commerce & Industry Ministry said in a statement.

The decision was taken by a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister Amit Shah on February 26.

Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, in a tweet, said: "Permitting the export of onions from 15th March is a step in the direction of farmers' welfare. This decision will help in increasing the income of farmers."

In the last 6 months, prices of onions had sky-rocked due to shortage of supply as a result of widespread flooding in key producer states.

The Centre, in a bid to control the soaring prices, had imposed the ban in last September.