India, March 13 -- Banana exports from Solapur district, one of Maharashtra's key export hubs for the fruit, have come to a halt amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, leaving thousands of tonnes of produce stranded in cold storage facilities and pushing prices sharply downward.

The export-oriented banana belt around Kandhar village in Karmala tehsil, located along the backwaters of the Ujani dam, is known for producing high-quality bananas shipped to several Arab countries including Iran, Iraq, the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Farmers and exporters said harvesting and cold storage operations have slowed significantly after export consignments got stuck at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) near Mumbai. In Karmala and neighbouring tehsi...