Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asked Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to negotiate with China and four other countries over 150 chilli export containers from the state stranded at Colombo Port, saying the stalled consignments could cause losses to farmers.
In a letter to Goyal, Naidu said the containers held export consignments valued at Rs 60 crore. The shipments have reportedly been stopped over excess moisture content, according to officials cited in the report.
The countries involved are China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. The consignments were being exported through Colombo, making the port a critical link in the movement of Andhra Pradesh’s chilli produce to overseas markets.
Naidu urged the Union Commerce Ministry to negotiate with the respective countries and ensure that the containers are allowed to proceed for export. The chief minister’s intervention comes as the consignments remain stalled at the Sri Lankan port.
The episode places the exposure of agricultural exporters to port-side delays and destination-country requirements at the centre of the dispute. While the report does not specify how long the containers have been held or what corrective action has been proposed for the moisture issue, it identifies the value of the affected cargo and the potential impact on farmers.
Officials said the chief minister had written to the Union commerce minister seeking negotiations over the stranded containers. The requested next step is for the Commerce Ministry to engage with the five countries and facilitate the export of the consignments.
