The consignment of watermelon shippped from Kerala found to be damaged after a protracted delay in reaching the destintion in UAE

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.

Published – April 14, 2026 08:41 pm IST