Vizag Port records better cargo handling

Despite a drop in iron ore exports, Visakhapatnam Port, the premier port in the country, has managed to cross marginally the last fiscal's cargo handling figures by the end of January this year.

Until the end of January, the port handled 457.79 lakh tonne of cargo, which is about 2.26 lakh tonne higher than that of the last corresponding period.

While the port exported 107.59 lakh tonne of iron ore in 2005-06, the figures for the current fiscal stood at 83.06, registering a shortfall of 24.5 tonne.

"In spite of the steep fall in iron ore exports, we have managed to cross the last fiscal's overall figures, because of increase in petroleum products, iron ore pellets, wheat and fertilisers," KSD Dattu Raju, traffic manager, Vizag Port, told Business Standard.

Due to hike in railway freight rates, most of the iron ore exporters from the Bellary-Hospet region moved to other nearby ports for exports. As a result, there was a steep fall in iron ore exports from the port here, he reasoned.

During the current fiscal up to the end of January, the port handled 142.33 lakh tonne of petroleum products as against 129 lakh tonne during the last fiscal, thus registering an increase of 13.33 lakh tonne.

Because of enhanced production at the Essar's Hy-Grade pellet unit, the port exported 8.02 lakh tonne of additional iron ore pellets during this period, compared with the last corresponding period.

While the port witnessed import of about 6 lakh tonne of wheat, for the entire last fiscal there were no import of this item here.

Fertilisers handling also increased by about 3.66 lakh tonne during this period.