Concernedover the low rate of fertiliser import via Cochin Port, the private companywhich installed an automated fertiliser bagging unit at the Cochin Portwithdrew from the project and has taken the machine back.
The company has taken the machine unitback and sent it back to Kenya from where it came.
The device was imported and installedby LOTS Shipping Ltd which operates the Ro-Ro Service.
“Actually we imported the machine andused it on a trial basis.
Based on the low rate of fertiliserimport via Cochin Port, it is not feasible to operate the machine here.
This forced us to suspend theoperations and withdraw from it,” said LOTS Shipping chief executive Ranjith TNelluvelil.
He said the fertiliser godown of theCochin Port was not spacious enough to accommodate the machine.
The bagging unit comprised grabs,hopper, bagging plant, weighing machines, stitching machines and a conveyorbelt.
Each bagging plant comprises twobagging lines.
The unit could handle 140 tonnes offertiliser (2800 bags of 50 kg each) per hour.
The port management thought ofinstalling a bagging unit after the imported cargo piled up in the godown forwant of bagging labourers.
In November 2010, around 24,000 tonnesof urea and 27,000 tonnes of potash remained uncleared at the godowns.
The Kerala Head Load Workers WelfareFund Board, which is supposed to supply the workforce was not able to provideenough number of labourers.
The cause of the shortage was thecompartmentalisation of labourers into various water-tight pools within theWelfare Board, where over 2500 workers are registered.
Despite the lack of work for workers inother pools, they could not be spared by the Board resulting in shortage amidstplenty.
The Welfare Board is able to supplyonly around 40 workers on an average against a demand of 120.
The issue of low rate of clearance ofimported fertilisers had an adverse impact on the agricultural sector andresulted in skyrocketing of prices.