Vizag Port strategy pays off

TIN news:   Slump in economy notwithstanding, Visakhapatnam Port has handled more cargo in the first half of current fiscal compared to corresponding period last year, thanks to increase in containers, iron ore and other cargo by three million tonnes.
The port handled 30.67 million tonnes compared to last year’s 27.64 million tonnes. The marginal increase in throughput and completion of mechanisation of some of the berths has also given the hope that the port would achieve 61 million tonnes target set by the Ministry of Shipping for the current year. The total cargo handled last year was 57.03 million tonnes.
“Aggressive marketing drive to increase other cargo like pet cake, manganese ore, bauxite and gypsum, agreements signed with Japan and South Korea for export of iron ore from Bailadilla mines of NMDC through MMTC has paid off well,” Visakhapatnam Port Deputy Chairman P.L. Haranadh told The Hindu on Thursday.
Coastal shipping by Essar also picked up this year.
Jindal Ispat is handling two vessels a month. Private players have also routed some of the vessels laden with iron ore, which was very dull last year.
As the port is handling multiple cargo, drop in one commodity is being compensated by another. All the major and minor ports are witnessing drastic fall in coal imports following steep increase in prices in Australia, South Africa and other countries following increase in domestic production.
Trade sources say enabling ease of doing business with better evacuation of cargo, drop in handling charges, demurrage and increase in turnaround time as a result of parameters fulfilled as per recommendation of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to increase efficiency contributed to perform better than the corresponding period last year.
Following is the list of various commodities in million tonnes handled during first half this fiscal vis-à-vis figures of corresponding period last year (in brackets): Iron ore and pellets 5.22 (2.24), coking coal 2.19 (2.72), thermal coal 1.76 (1.54), steam coal 2.76 (3.93), fertilizer finished 1.14 (1.05), fertilizer dry 0.47 (0.48), POL 7.98 (8.49), containers 3.27 (2.30), others 5.88 (4.88).