With restaurants and hotels closed due to the ongoing lockdowns, Indian vegetable exporters expect demand from the UK to fall 15 to 20 percent. Exporters said India exports 70-100 tonnes of vegetables to the UK a week, usually going up by 15 percent around Christmas and the New Year.
And then there are the higher air freight tariffs. The current average airfreight tariff is Rs 200 a kg (€2.20), compared to Rs 80 (€0.88) before the pandemic. Kaushal Khakhar, Kay Bee Exports chief executive, said airlines seem to be better prepared and geared up for travel bans now, unlike the uncertainty during the lockdown in April and May. “When no passenger movement is allowed by the aviation regulator, the same aircraft can be used for transporting essential products.”
