The Kochi port management has convened a meeting of all stakeholders on Tuesday in an effort to quicken the movement of fertiliser consignments lying at the port because of labour shortage. Fertiliser importers (like The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd and Indian Potash Ltd), cooperatives involved in fertiliser marketing, officials of Kerala Head Load Workers' Welfare Board which controls supply of workers for fertiliser packing and forwarding and representatives from trade unions in the port have been invited to the meeting.
Lack of workers to move cargo is holding up nearly two shiploads of fertiliser inputs, lying in the port godowns currently, even as fertiliser shortage worries farmers in Kerala.
A consignment of 27,500 tonnes of muriate of potash arrived by vessel MV Emanet on November 6. However, only 12,000 tonnes has been despatched by road after a month. Besides, another 23,000 tonnes of urea that had arrived at the port on November 18 by bulk vessel MV Lok Prem, too, is also lying idle in the port godowns. Only 3,000 tonnes of the latest consignment has been despatched so far.
According to officials, another 30,000 tonnes of potash is expected to arrive here later this month. The officials warned that shippers may divert cargo to neighbouring ports if the earlier consignments were not removed from the godowns. The concerned shipping agent has been facing a shortage of workers for fertiliser evacuation.