Exporter’s ordeal over watermelon shipment to UAE highlights depth of West Asian crisis in export sector

As tensions escalate over the U.S.’ blockade of maritime traffic to and from Iran’s ports, along with Iran’s counter-threat to shut down its West Asian neighbours’ ports following the collapse of peace talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, the story of an exporter who shipped a container load of watermelon and muskmelon from Kerala to Jebel Ali in the UAE via a port in Maharashtra on the eve of the West Asian war highlights the depth of the crisis faced by the export-import community, both within and outside the country.

Shaiju K., export manager at City Fresh, Thiruvananthapuram, loaded a 40-foot reefer container with watermelon and muskmelon from Nhava Sheva port in Maharashtra to Jebel Ali on February 26. The shipping agent, Sri Sri Navigation Shipping, provided a timeline indicating departure by February 28 and expected arrival at Jebel Ali on March 2. He paid a shipping charge of ₹2.32 lakh to transport the consignment, which was valued at ₹8.5 lakh and comprised fully perishable cargo.