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Growth in box cargo through Mangalore

Our Bureau

MANGALORE, Aug. 2

THERE has been a `steady growth' in container traffic moving through the New Mangalore port which would help in ensuring `competitive freight rates', according to the Traffic Manager of the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), Mr. R.T. Revankar.

In a statement issued here, he said that ever since the container facilities were reintroduced at the New Mangalore port on March 3 this year, the response from the `port users' had been `encouraging' with 11 voyages having been completed so far and the 12th scheduled for August 14.

According to the statement, with the regular calling of container vessels, the users are confident of routing more and more traffic through the New Mangalore port.

The statement has also added that m.v. XPress Nilgiri arrived at the port on July 31 and discharged 31 containers loaded with raw cashew nuts for the cashew exporters of the hinterland.

Also, 39 containers with export cargo such as coffee, leak springs and brake drums, plywood, cashew kernels and cashew shell liquid, silica sand and dye stuff were loaded onto the vessel which sailed out on the same day.

Meanwhile, a meeting of coffee exporters from the Kodagu district was convened by the Deputy Commissioner of the district and the Coffee Board on July 31 in which the NMPT Traffic Manager, Mr. Revankar briefed the exporters about the facilities available at the New Mangalore port for exporters and importers. Routing coffee through the New Mangalore Port, according to port officials here, would prove `cost-effective' and make the produce `more competitive in the international market.'

The NMPT Chairman, Capt. R. Ramkumar, has also requested mainline operators to offer `competitive freight rates' to attract the movement of more container cargo through the New Mangalore port.