Strait of Hormuz closure disrupts Chittoor’s mango pulp exports

Escalating tensions in West Asia have disrupted mango pulp export units in the Chittoor region of Andhra Pradesh, one of India’s largest mango processing clusters, which caters to the global food and beverage markets.

Exporters in the Chittoor cluster said their Gulf-based agents had informed them that all new transactions and shipments must be suspended indefinitely due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, blocking maritime movement between the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

As a result, pulp consignments worth more than ₹300 crore from the Chittoor cluster have reportedly been stranded at Gulf ports, including Muscat, Kuwait City, and Dubai.

The management of a prominent pulp industry said that it has received information that parts of the port infrastructure in the region may have been damaged during the conflict, leaving the condition of the stranded goods uncertain.

Industry representatives said that apart from the stranded consignments, another ₹1,000 crore worth of mango pulp barrels are currently ready for shipment at processing units across the Chittoor cluster. They expressed grave fear that any prolonged delay in exports could adversely affect the quality of the pulp and disrupt trade commitments with overseas buyers.

The crisis has also disrupted another crucial link in the supply chain. The pulp industry depends on leak-proof aseptic barrels and packaging bags imported from Europe for storing and transporting mango pulp. With maritime routes through the Gulf affected and the Strait of Hormuz closed, fresh imports of these packaging materials have also been affected.

K. Govardhan Bobby, South Zone Chairman of All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), told The Hindu that the period from February to April is particularly critical for exports. Any delay during this window could lead to deterioration in pulp quality or spoilage, severely affecting the export prospects of the processing units.

“A prolonged disruption could also have cascading effects on the upcoming mango procurement season from May to August, potentially affecting thousands of farmers who depend on the pulp factories for the sale of their Totapuri crop,” Mr. Bobby said.

The pulp industries spread across Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya districts follow two major traditional export slots annually, from February to April and from October to December. The intervening period between May and September is reserved for the procurement of fresh mangoes, particularly the Totapuri variety, and their processing into aseptic pulp for overseas shipment.

Industry sources said that nearly 1,000 containers of mango pulp leave the district every day during the peak export months. The consignments are transported to ports in Tamil Nadu, mainly through Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port, from where they are shipped to international markets, the AIFPA chairman said.

From these ports, the cargo is routed to transit hubs in the Gulf region before moving onward to Europe through the Red Sea and the Mediterranean shipping corridor. Exporters note that financial transactions and settlements between the pulp processing units and their overseas agents usually peak during this period.