Cashew imports through VOC Port at Tuticorin are getting badly affected due to congestion at the port affecting timely clearance of the cargo.

The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India has taken up the matter with the port authorities saying that the one-month long congestion has hampered the cashew movements affecting the cashew trade in Kerala.

It is pointed out that 40 per cent of import cargo from the State was handled at Tuticorin. In 2013-14, the country imported over four lakh tonnes of raw cashew valued at ₹2,344 crore.

Tuticorin is one of the major ports for cashew kernel exports and raw cashew imports.

P Sundaran, Vice-Chairman of the council told Business Line that the raw cashew season in Africa is in full swing and any disruption in cargo movement would cause greater difficulties to the Exim trade. The delay in clearance would also hamper exports since the receipt and the demand in supply will not match due to interruption in getting approval from the authorities.

The import consignments, he said, have to be cleared on urgent basis as the quality gets deteriorated if the cargo lies un-cleared in the port. As against the normal 24-hour clearance, it is now taking around 10-12 days for clearance.

The shipping lines informed that due to imports not moving from the terminal, the inventory levels at the terminals is quite high and equipment interchange report (EIR) for export consignments could not be filed. Several mainline vessels with raw cashew consignments are on transit and if the prevailing situation continues, he said the trade has no other option but to change the name of destination port to Kochi from Tuticorin.

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