More than 150 containers loaded with onions belonging to exporters from Nashik and other parts of Maharashtra are stranded at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai due to a halt in exports. The consignments were primarily meant for Gulf countries via Dubai, but the Dubai market has been shut since yesterday amid a war-like situation.
Each container carries an average of 29–30 tonnes of onions, and with around 150 containers stranded at JNPT, nearly 4,500 tonnes of the commodity are currently stuck at the port. Exporters said the situation has left them worried about how to handle the stock amid the ongoing disruption and warned of significant financial losses and a likely fall in domestic prices.
A leading onion exporter in Mumbai told businessline that he alone has around eight containers stuck. “These were supposed to reach during Eid time. Now they are saying that operations at Jebel Ali port have partially resumed, but a lot of carriers are not willing to go to Dubai,” he said.
Business affected
He said many containers that were already loaded may now have to be offloaded. “Besides the Gulf, the bigger problem is that all our cargo going towards Europe also used to go through this route. We are now stuck again,” he said. According to him, transits to Europe from India had stabilised a few months ago. “Now they have had to call off journeys from Suez, and all are getting diverted at the Cape of Good Hope,” he said.
The disruption has severely affected business. Other exporter said that “Business is in the dumps. Onion rates will fall as purchasing for the important Eid time has hit almost zero,” she said, describing the situation as “a sad, sad situation for the farmer.” Exporters, too, are facing mounting losses. “As exporters, we are also stuck now and it will lead to financial losses in millions,” he said. Containers are currently held up in parking plazas with no clarity on what will happen next.
There is no clarity on when exports will resume or when the Dubai market will reopen, leading to anxiety among farmers and traders.
Growers seek subsidy
Onion growers are facing what they describe as a double blow. Already depressed market prices, rising production costs, uncertainty in export policy, and now a complete halt in exports due to the war situation. Export disruption could increase pressure on the domestic market and trigger a further fall in prices. There is also a risk of spoilage if the onions remain in containers for an extended period.
Bharat Dighole, President of the Maharashtra State Onion Producer Farmers’ Organisation has urged the Central and State governments to take immediate steps. He demanded an immediate subsidy of ₹1,500 per quintal, waiver of port charges and demurrage for stranded containers, a temporary procurement scheme until exports resume, and a clear government position on the war situation to protect exporters.
Published on March 2, 2026