Fourth mainline vessel calls at NMPT

Mangalore, June 13: M.V. KONARD SCHULTE, the mainline container vessel from West Africa (Port Cotanou – Benin) called at the Port on June 10.

The vessel completed its operation of unloading 399 TEUs of raw cashew for distribution among various cashew processing units situated in and around Mangalore and loading of 500 TEUS of export containers is in full swing. The vessel is expected to sail on the morn of June 14.

This is the 4th main line container vessel that called at the Port during the current financial year 2011-12, the last being M.V. CMA CGM EVEREST which called at the Port on May 22. The advantage of mainline vessel directly calling at the Port is the lesser transit time and lesser handling cost. It will take only 25 days between Mangalore and West Africa whereas vessels via Colombo will take 40 days. The exporters can utilize the advantage of moving their export cargo since the vessel is touching Jubel Ali and Khor-Fakkan Ports.

P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of the Port, while requesting all the MLOs and users to make use of the advantageous position of lesser transit time and lesser handling cost, further added that the beginning of the current financial year shows very encouraging trend in the growth of container traffic. So far during the current year 2011-12 (As on date ) 9615 TEUs have been handled as against 8917 TEUs handled during the corresponding period of previous year registering a growth rate of 7.83%.

The mainline operators while expressing their happiness over the performance of the vessel at NMPT are keen in calling more main line vessels and few more main line vessels are expected to call at NMPT shortly.

The next mainline vessel M.V. KALAUS.J from West Africa (Port: Abdjan of Ivory Coast) is expected on June 16.