New Mangalore Port to get the first mainline vessel

Mangalore: A mainline container vessel with around 200 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of raw cashew cargo will call at New Mangalore Port on January 20.

Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), said the first mainline vessel of the season, m.v. Kota Manis, is expected to call at the port directly from the port of Matwara in East Africa, on January 20. Mr Tamilvanan said he held a meeting on Tuesday with the major container operators, cashew importers and exporters and C&F (clearing and forwarding) agents to plan schedule for the smooth handling of the container vessel.

During the current financial year up to December, the port handled 4,057 TEUs (80,666 tonnes) of raw cashew containers against 2,623 TEUs (52,252 tonnes) in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, he said.

Mr K. Prakash Rao, former President of Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers’ Association, told Business Line the direct sailing of raw cashews from East Africa will help the domestic cashew industry, as the cargo will reach Mangalore in 8-10 days.

The domestic cashew industry is likely to import around 15,000 tonnes of raw cashew from East Africa by the end of this fiscal, he said.

Mr Praveen Kumar, Branch Head of Seaways Group, Mangalore, said PIL (Pacific International Line), Singapore, has nominated the mainline container vessel, m.v. Kota Manis, for direct sailing from Matwara to New Mangalore.