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The sea food exporters from the state now have a reason to cheer as the Paradip Port Trust (PPT), under Union Ministry of Shipping, has started refrigerated container service.
A vessel, Hansa Castella, loaded with100 tonnes of frozen seafood left for Vietnam on August 15.
"This was a long standing demand from the exporters to Paradip Port Trust and shipping ministry to provide facilities referred container cargo handling facilities.
Seafood exporters were undergoing several difficulties by exporting though Kolkata and Vizag port which are 500 kilometers away", said Gorachand Mohanty, President, Seafood Exporters Association of India, Odisha region (SEAI-O).
While 70 per cent of these containers were routed through Vizag, the rest wrre sent via the Kolkata port. Sea food exports from the state have zoomed to Rs 1817 crore in 2013-14 compared to Rs 886.15 crore in the year ago fiscal, an increase of more than 105 per cent. About 30980 tonnes of shrimps and fishes valued at Rs 1817 crores (freight on board) were exported from the state in the last fiscal.
With the launch of the service by the PPT, exporters can save about Rs 45000 to 50000 per container in terms of overhead and time. These facilities will make exporters competitive , Mohanty said.
This will also enhance the scope of exports of fishes, a low value item, from the state, he added.
The service was launched by Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra, Chairman Paradeep Port in presence of President SEAI - Odisha , Seaways Shipping and Logistics Limited , senior officers of Paradip Port Trust, Custom and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officers and Odisha seafood exporters.
The port has demarcated separate space for referred containers and provided electric plugging points for charging of 20 containers. Seaways Logistics Ltd will make arrangements for vessels, and coordinate with exporters for shipment of their merchandise.
With the reluctance major shipping lines like Maersk, APL, notwithstanding, Seaways Logistics has arranged BLPL shipping line to provide vessel and boxes for shipment to Vietnamese ports.
The marine product exports to Vietnam, mostly comprising fishes, account for around 20 per cent of total exports from the state.
Four Odisha Exporters shipped their cargo on the launching day from Paradip. The exporters are Uni-triveni Overseas P Ltd, Papermoon Impex Pvt ltd, Teekay Marines Ltd and Falcon Marine Exports Ltd.
