MANGALORE: New Mangalore Port has handled more container traffic in the nine months of the current fiscal compared to traffic handled by it in the last fiscal (2005-06).

A press release from S. Gopalakrishna, traffic manager, New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), here on Friday said that the port handled 13,320 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) as against the annual container traffic of 9,646 TEUs handled in 2005-06.

Mr. Gopalakrishna said that more number of coffee exporters have started mobilising their cargo through NMPT mainly due to the rigorous marketing drives taken up by the port at various locations of the port's hinterland.

The port authorities in December had organised a trade meet at Kushalnagar, which is regarded as granary of coffee in India.

Similarly, the rail traffic to the port has also shown significant growth with the commencement of goods traffic through Mangalore-Hassan broad-gauge line. In all, 21.45 lakh tonnes of cargo has moved through rail as on December 31, 2006, against total rail traffic of 15 lakh tonnes handled during 2005-06.

The port also handled 27,718 tonnes of limestone, which was discharged from M/V Atlantic Fortune and the cargo was moved in eight rakes to Bellary for Jindal Steels.

The freight charges for destinations such as Shimoga and Davanagere have considerably decreased compared to earlier months due to the utilisation of Hassan-Mangalore line.

The fertilizer and coal traffic has also shown an upward trend, Mr. Gopalakrishna said. The port handled 7.60 lakh tonnes of fertilizer and 6.29 lakh tonnes of coal in the last year, registering a growth of 61 per cent and 64 per cent respectively, over the previous period.

A road leading to berth number 14 from the Mazagon Dock Ltd. yard had been commissioned recently, Mr. Gopalakrishna added.

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