Pune: Banana exports from Solapur district, one of Maharashtra’s key export hubs for the fruit, have come to a halt amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, leaving thousands of tonnes of produce stranded in cold storage facilities and pushing prices sharply downward.
The export-oriented banana belt around Kandhar village in Karmala tehsil, located along the backwaters of the Ujani dam, is known for producing high-quality bananas shipped to several Arab countries including Iran, Iraq, the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Farmers and exporters said harvesting and cold storage operations have slowed significantly after export consignments got stuck at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) near Mumbai. In Karmala and neighbouring tehsils such as Malshiras, nearly 24,000 metric tonnes of bananas are currently stored and awaiting export.
“Earlier we used to sell export-quality bananas at ₹19 to ₹24 per kg. But if we sell the same bananas in the local market, the prices have dropped to around ₹8 to ₹9 per kg,” said a local exporter. “If we sell the produce in the local market, it will be a complete loss,” said Kiran Doke of KD group, which exports bananas to the gulf region.
According to exporters, several refrigerated containers that had already been dispatched from Karmala to JNPT are now stuck at the port due to disruptions in shipping routes and rising freight costs linked to the conflict.
Shipping companies have reportedly imposed additional war-risk charges of nearly $4,000 per container, significantly increasing export costs. Some vessels that were scheduled to sail towards Iranian ports such as Bandar Abbas have been diverted to Dubai instead, adding to delays and expenses.
The district has around 15,000 to 20,000 hectares under banana cultivation, and exporters estimate that Solapur ships 30,000 to 35,000 containers of bananas annually, generating business worth nearly ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 crore.
Cold storage warehouses in Karmala, where bananas are maintained at around 13°C before being loaded into refrigerated containers, are currently packed with unsold produce, said another exporter.
VK Shindra of PG Exporters, said if the situation continues, farmers and traders could face losses exceeding ₹200 crore in the coming weeks, as harvesting has slowed and labourers are beginning to leave farms due to uncertainty.
Industry representatives said they have written to agencies such as the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Union commerce ministry seeking urgent intervention to restore export logistics.
“We hope the situation improves quickly. Otherwise both farmers and exporters will face severe financial distress,” an exporter said.
