KERALA, INDIA — Kerala’s annual Onam export season is facing a new logistics hurdle this year as strong festival demand clashes with ongoing supply chain volatility linked to the conflict in West Asia.
Every August, Kerala farmers and exporters are in a race against time to supply traditional ingredients to Malayali communities in the Middle East. The banana is picked a little early, the flower growers harvest the marigold and chethi (jungle geranium) before they flower, and the trader wraps the banana leaves in wet cloth to keep them fresh while in transit.
Timing is everything. These are the stuffs for the Onasadhya, the traditional vegetarian feast on a banana leaf during Onam.
For the estimated one million Keralites in the Gulf, the festival meal is closely associated with ingredients from Kerala, making Onam one of the busiest times of the year for the state’s airports.
But this year, the seasonal rush is set against a more complicated backdrop for logistics.
The West Asia conflict has added to the uncertainty in regional supply chains, with earlier in 2026 airspace closures and shipping risks prompting exporters to rethink their movement of time-sensitive products to Gulf markets.
More cargo heads for air
The combination of festival demand and rising transport risks has meant exporters increasingly depend on air freight, especially for perishable products that must reach consumers fresh.
At the same time, fewer routes are being used for shipments, with exporters and logistics operators being more cautious about routing cargo through a region of geopolitical and operational uncertainty.
Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is served by the Gulf carriers of Saudia, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways and Etihad, who provide important links between Kerala and the Gulf markets in which Onam demand is concentrated.
The result is a seasonal supply chain that is ever more reliant on dependable air connectivity.
The challenge for farmers, traders and exporters of Kerala is therefore not just to meet the familiar annual spike in demand. The wider conflict has affected both aviation and maritime routes, and they need to carefully plan the movement of perishables, whilst dealing with greater transport uncertainty.
Onam exports continue to connect Kerala’s agricultural supply chain with its large Gulf diaspora, but this year the farm-to-dining table journey is as much about geopolitical risk and logistics strategy as the festival itself.
