The New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) is planning to handle around 45,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers during the current financial year.
Mr S. Gopalakrishna, Traffic Manager of NMPT, said that the port's container traffic during the current financial year already crossed the last financial year's figure of 40,158 TEUs.
Stating that still more than a month is left for the closure of the current financial year, he said the port is expected to handle around 45,000 TEUs during the current fiscal.
The cargoes such as coffee, reefer cargo, cashew kernels, machinery, chemicals, etc. are contributing for this growth.
He said that the export of coffee through the port has crossed one-lakh-tonne mark.
This is the highest quantity of coffee cargo exported among the major ports of India, he said.
Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of NMPT, attributed the growth in container traffic to the infrastructure addition made at the port and to the proactive marketing drive by the port.
He said he is hopeful of continuing this trend in the coming months also.
Mr Gopalakrishna said that as a part of introducing new safe handling methods, the port has made a breakthrough by inducting grab operation for handling timber logs.
This system of handling timber was successfully carried out on the vessel m.v. Inalco Brave at the port recently.
He said 5,621 pieces of Myanmar teakwood (3,921 tonnes) were handled through this method.
The entire consignment was unloaded safely with 50 per cent increased productivity.
This system has been recommended by the DGFASLI (Director General of Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes), which is the official body for safety in the cargo handling operation in ports. Delta Infralogistics Ltd was the stevedores of the vessel, he added.