Ludhiana, April 5 -- The basmati exports to West Asia have fallen by nearly 50% due to the ongoing conflict, exporters said on Saturday. India exports around 5 lakh tonnes of basmati to the region every month, and approximately 40% of this comes from Punjab, according to Bal Krishan Garg, president of the Basmati Millers and Exporters Association.

According to Garg, there are around 50 exporters in the state, and due to the war, the freight rates have almost shot up 5-6 times.

Garg said that with the Strait of Hormuz closed, the cargo vessels can no longer access Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. The main port of Dubai is also not accessible.

He said the ships instead unload the cargo at the port of Abu Dhabi, and from there it's being trans...