Farm exports take a dip due to Covid-19 scare, may take months to recover

Non-availabilty of labour and transport takes a toll on shipments; bottlenecks at customs exacerbate problem despite round-the-clock clearance by govt

Rahul Sheth Bankar, a grape exporter from Nashik, has invested Rs 3-3.5 lakh in his 20-acre garden on the outskirts of the city.

After the extended monsoon caused a huge loss during the last harvest in 2019, Bankar was hoping to make some profits as this year's grape output looked good. 

Just as he was harvesting his produce, the government imposed the 21-day nationwide lockdown last week to control Covid-19 cases in India.

Suddenly, in a span of few days, his world came crashing down and instead of reaping good profits, Bankar is now working to cut down his losses.