Jaipur: Exporters across Rajasthan are grappling with mounting losses as consignments bound for West Asia remain stranded in containers for weeks, with little indication of normal shipment movement resuming anytime soon. A wide range of goods, including bhujia, mehndi, handicrafts and agri commodities like rice and millets, are now being unloaded as delays continue to disrupt shipment movement.Industry representatives said the crisis has dealt a double blow to exporters. While revenues from overseas markets have taken a hit, businesses are also incurring heavy additional costs to retrieve and manage the stranded consignments.Federation of Rajasthan Trade and Industry president Suresh Agarwal said the financial strain is particularly severe for small and medium exporters who depend on timely shipments to sustain cash flows. He added that the damage is most acute in the case of perishable goods.Products such as bhujia and other edible items have deteriorated beyond recovery, effectively turning into waste.“Entire consignments have been lost. The losses are substantial and difficult to absorb,” said a local bhujia exporter.The disruption has also impacted agri-commodity exports from the state. Mehndi from Sujat in Pali, rice from Kota and Bundi, and millets from various regions, traditionally shipped to Gulf markets, are facing significant hurdles.Anup Khandelwal, who has over a decade of experience in agricultural commodities trade in the Gulf, said Rajasthan’s sizeable agri exports to the region have declined sharply due to the ongoing conflict, affecting small businesses the most.Although the Gulf is not a major market for garments, exporters say the rerouting of shipments has disrupted delivery schedules, pushed up freight rates and increased input costs across the board.
