War hits Barwani’s bananas as exports halt, prices crash

Barwani: The sweetness of Barwani's bananas is facing bitter impact of war. The ongoing Iran-Israel conflict has disrupted exports to several Middle Eastern countries, leaving banana farmers in Barwani district in distress as prices have crashed and buyers disappeared.The conflict and rising tensions in the region have halted shipments of bananas, forcing farmers to sell their produce at throwaway prices.Barwani bananas are widely exported to Iran, Iraq, Dubai, and other Middle East countries. Usually, demand for bananas increases during the month of Ramadan, but this year the market remained largely silent.Banana grower and exporter Santosh Lacheta told TOI that exports from the district began in 2016. Last year, around 1.6 lakh tonnes of bananas were exported, mainly by sea to Iran and Dubai. From Dubai, the fruit was transported by road to eight other countries, he said.Lacheta said the price of bananas dropped from around Rs 2,000–Rs 2,100 per quintal to Rs 1,200–Rs 1,300 due to the impact of the war. Bananas that were packed and ready for export to Iran and other countries at seaports are now being sold to traders in Delhi at a loss to prevent spoilage, he said.Jitendra Solanki of Rajlaxmi Banana Group said that apart from cultivating bananas on about 50 to 60 acres, he also purchases bananas from local farmers for export. He said that currently bananas worth around 15 to 20 days of supply are stored at shipyards in Mumbai. Instead of being exported, this stock is now being diverted to the domestic market.Another banana producer from Barwani, Hariom Kumawat, told TOI that about four months ago, bananas were exported at prices ranging between ₹1,100 and ₹1,500 per quintal. This year, the price increased to around Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,100 per quintal, but the ongoing war created serious difficulties.He explained that nearly half of the district's banana production is usually exported, which helps farmers get better prices. Even if the remaining produce is sold in the domestic market at lower rates, farmers are still able to make a reasonable profit. However, with exports disrupted, the situation became challenging for growers.