Kochi: Cargo movement at the Kochi port increased faster than the other ports of India in April and May, helped by a spike in the import of petroleum products.
The Cochin Port Trust recorded growth of 19.44 percent in the two months, more than three times the national average gain of 5.56 percent. Paradip (Odisha) and Kolkata followed with 15.49 percent and 9.03 percent, respectively.
Kandla (Gujarat) and New Mangaluru (Karnataka) also gained while Chennai and Visakhapatnam led the laggards. Movement of goods at the Chennai port decreased 6 percent as lower volumes of petroleum products, raw materials for chemical fertilizers and other items were imported at the eastern port.
Visakhapatnam took a hit as coal was in low demand.
The major ports in the country handled 11.3 crore tons of cargo in April and May. Thoothukudi, Mumbai, Nhava Sheva and Mormugao recorded impressive growth in the period.
Kochi’s good show was helped by petroleum products, which formed 28.12 percent of total goods moved, while there was a marked decrease in other goods including raw material for chemical fertilizers.
The Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal, which falls under the Cochin Port Trust, also recorded 12.82 percent growth. The terminal’s volume rose 19 percent in May when it moved a record 47,000 TEU containers. The previous record was 45,000 TEU containers moved in March.
The terminal’s success rate owes to the efforts by the port trust and the terminal to attract goods from neighboring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, DP World Kochi chief executive officer Jibu Kurien Itty said.
The untangling at the border check post at Walayar and the launch of feeder services to Vallarpadam from other ports have also helped boost the traffic at the Kochi port.