Shipments of fruit and onions are facing delays at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Maharashtra's Raigad district following disruptions linked to the conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran and its effects on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the West Asia–North Africa (WANA) region.
Export consignments of bananas, grapes, watermelons, pomegranates, and onions are among the products affected. JNPT handles about 50 per cent of India's total containerised cargo volume across major ports.
The disruption comes during the peak export period for fruit shipments to Gulf markets, which usually increases during the Ramadan period.
Exporters report that container trucks have been lined up along the route to the port as cargo movements slowed.
"The situation is really bad, and it will take time to recover," exporters said, referring to plug-in and demurrage charges while noting that part of the produce has been redirected to domestic markets.
Around 1,000 containers of different commodities are currently reported to be stuck, affecting exporters and producers.
According to exporters, vessels serving Gulf routes have not been operating as usual due to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
"During Ramzan, the maximum fruit exports from the JNPA are to Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Dubai. The vessels are not going now. Those who had gone had not returned because of the situation. More than 600 containers are stuck," said Pramod Nirmal, a banana exporter.
Some vessels are being diverted via the Cape of Good Hope, he added.
Exporters say additional ground handling and logistics costs are increasing financial pressure on shipments.
"Iran has its own onion production. However, the supplies to other Gulf countries are affected," said onion exporter Vikas Singh.
"There is no clarity on when shipping companies will resume accepting cargo. This delay could severely impact not just exporters, but the entire agricultural sector in Maharashtra," Singh said.
Reports also indicate that around 200 containers of grapes and pomegranates are currently stuck near the Strait of Hormuz due to security concerns and shipping disruptions.
Onion exporters are also reporting delays. "The exporters as well as onion growers are affected," said Bharat Dighole, founder-president of the Maharashtra State Onion Producers' Association, noting that more than 150 containers of onions are currently stranded.
Source: Deccan Herald
