KOCHI:The Cochin Port Trust has registered highest growth among major ports in the country during the first two-quarters of the current fiscal. The port handled 18.95 million tonnes (MT) of cargo in 2017-18 registering 17.93 per cent growth over the corresponding period of 2016-17.
Increase in traffic of petroleum, oil and lubricants and containers during April- November helped the Port Trust to attain the achievement. While traffic of petroleum oil and lubricants increased by 24 per cent container traffic grew by 11.35 per cent.
Highest ever monthly cargo throughput of 2.505 MT was achieved in November 2017 surpassing the previous highest monthly throughput of 2.458 MT achieved in June 2017 of 2017-18 over the corresponding period of 2016-17 to reach 3.63 lakh TEUs.
The Port Trust has been aggressively carrying out marketing campaigns, trader’s meetings in cities in neighbouring cities such as Coimbatore and Bengaluru from where a major share of cargo is exported via Cochin Port. Cochin Port has a marketing adviser for Coimbatore and surrounding region.Moreover, lack of check post at Valayar, which is near the Kerala-TN border, after implementation of GST, is also considered to have helped cargo movement.
“Further leap in cargo volume is expected, once the work on Kurthiran tunnel is completed, ‘’ said a senior officer of the Port Trust. As part of the efforts to increase traffic, the Port Trust has been offering a discount on vessel related charges for ships berthing at the Port.