India & Pakistan’s Tensions: Mauritian Importers on High Alert

The escalating tensions between India and Pakistan have cast a shadow of concern over Mauritian importers, who rely heavily on these two nations for a significant portion of their food supplies, particularly rice. On Wednesday, 7th May, the two countries engaged in a mutual bombardment that resulted in a tragic toll of at least 26 lives lost on the Pakistani side and eight on the Indian side.

This confrontation has been described by foreign press as the most severe military clash between the two nations in two decades.

This latest escalation followed a harrowing attack on 22nd April in Indian-administered Kashmir, where armed assailants brutally murdered 26 individuals.

Since that fateful day, the longstanding rivalry between India and Pakistan, which has simmered since their partition in 1947, has reached alarming heights.

In Mauritius, the ramifications of this geopolitical strife are being closely monitored.

“We are keeping a vigilant eye on the situation,” stated a prominent importer.

Aatish Purmanund, the director of Trade Hub Limited, expressed that, for the moment, there has been no immediate impact on imports, as the conflict appears to be concentrated in Kashmir and its surrounding areas.

“However, should these tensions persist or if strategic locations such as the Mundra port were to come under attack, we could face significant supply chain disruptions.

Let us hope it does not come to that, but in such a scenario, we would need to devise alternative solutions,” he cautioned.

Notably, Mauritius imports approximately 80% of its basmati rice from India and 20% from Pakistan.

Dawood Jhurry, director of Succession Dawood Jhurry & Co Ltd, who imports rice and various food products from both India and Pakistan, managed to communicate with his suppliers on Wednesday, 7th May.

They reassured him that their regions remain unaffected by the bombardments. “Let us hope that nothing grave transpires!

In any case, such a situation would benefit no one,” he remarked.

Another importer weighed in, noting, “It is still too early to draw conclusions, but some suppliers in India and Pakistan have received instructions to turn off lights at night.

Consequently, certain factories that operate around the clock may not produce during the night, which could lead to delays in production and supply.”

Despite these concerns, Dawood Jhurry remained optimistic.

“The directive to turn off lights at night specifically pertains to Kashmir and its vicinity. Our suppliers are not impacted,” he clarified.

Mauritius’ food imports include a variety of essential items from these two nations:

From India:

• Rice
• Spices (cardamom, turmeric, etc.)
• Bombli
• Dried grains (dholl, beans, lentils, etc.)
• Green tea
• Biscuits
• Pistachio butter
• Jam
• Canned vegetables
• Honey

From Pakistan:

• Rice
• Salt
• Achards
• Crushed garlic and ginger
• Vermicelli
• Dried fruits
• Mandarins

Source: Defi Media