New Mangalore Port recorded a 38.48 per cent growth in container traffic during the current financial year.
Quoting Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), a press release said here the port handled 5,052 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers till May 9 during the current financial year as against 3,648 TEUs in the corresponding period of previous fiscal, a growth of 38.48 per cent.
The release said the mainline container vessel – m.v. CMA CGM Anna Purna – with raw cashew cargo from West African port of Cotonou called at the port on May 7. The vessel unloaded 381 TEUs of raw cashew for distribution among various cashew processing units situated in and around Mangalore and sailed out on May 9.
This is the second mainline container vessel calling at the port during the current fiscal. The first mainline container vessel – m.v. O.S. Sumsun – with raw cashew cargo called at the on April 23.
The direct calling of mainline container vessels at the port helps bring down the transit time between the two destinations and reduces the cost of handling for importers.
The release said the mainline container vessels from West Africa bring the cargo to New Mangalore in 25 days. Otherwise, it will take 40 days if the vessels bring cargo via Colombo.
Exporters can utilise the advantage of moving their export cargo since the vessel is touching the ports of Jebel Ali and Khor Fakkan in West Asia, it said.
The third mainline vessel – m.v. CMA CGM Everest – from West Africa is expected in the fourth week of May, the release added.