The first mainline container vessel of the current financial year is expected to call at NMPT on May 17.

Mr S. Gopalakrishna, Traffic Manager of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), told Business Line that the first mainline vessel of the current fiscal will call at New Mangalore Port on May 17. The vessel - m.v. Belgieen Express - will bring around 450 containers of raw cashew from West Africa.

He said that the port is hopeful of attracting more mainline container vessels during the current financial year.

During 2011-12, the total raw cashew handling at the port stood at 1.24 lakh tonnes from 6,534 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers. Five mainline vessels with raw cashew cargo called at NMPT during 2011-12.

The calling of mainline vessels at the port helps in bringing down the time of transportation of raw cashew from African countries to New Mangalore.

>vinayakaj@thehindu.co.in

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