The Hindu : Centre permits export of coffee husk from Malpe Port

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 27, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Centre permits export of coffee husk from Malpe Port

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, MARCH 26. The Union Government has allowed export of coffee husk through Malpe Port, Udupi district, through a notification. The notification, No. 31/2004 - Customs (NT), was issued on March 4 by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.

The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry released a copy of the notification to the press here on Friday.

The chamber on August 27, 2002 wrote to the chairman of the Central Board of Excise and Customs requesting the Government to take cognisance of the problem and notify Malpe Port as a customs port for export of coffee husk.

If gauge conversion between Sakleshpur and Mangalore is completed before the end of the year, coffee growers in Hassan and Chikmagalur districts will benefit from the decision, according to sources in the chamber.

As export of coffee husk is allowed through the New Mangalore Port the completion of broadguage by the end of December will help coffee planters to transport coffee husk up to Udupi through Mangalore railway station.

The Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, during his visit to Mangalore recently, said that the Centre was committed to completing the conversion work between Sakleshpur and Mangalore by December. And train service between Mangalore and Bangalore could start from January 2005.

The then President of the chamber, G. Giridhar Prabhu, also recommended to the Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Mangalore, to allow a private firm to export coffee husk through the Malpe Port to Mokha Port of the Republic of Yemen.

The private firm had planned to export 300 tonnes of coffee husk in May 2002 through a launch (mechanised sailing vessel) as only launches sailed ashore and berthed for discharge of cargo at the Mokha Port (Republic of Yemen).

The private firm in its letter on April 15, 2002 brought to the notice of the authorities that during May the old Mangalore Port channel bar would be rough and vessels could not enter the port because of inadequate water level.

Arranging shipments in New Mangalore Port was expensive and was not workable for launch shipments.

Hence, the firm also requested the Government to allow shipment through Malpe Port which has adequate water level for berthing of launch vessels.

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