Vizag Port set to retain 3rd rank in cargo handling

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Port appears to be all set to retain its third rank in handling cargo after Kandla and Paradip during the current financial year. The port, which started its operations way back in 1933, handled a throughput of 51.95 million tonne as on December 31, 2020, as against 53.54 mt during the corresponding period last year. The shortfall of 1.59 mt is attributed to the dislocation caused by the pandemic-induced slowdown.

During FY 19-20, Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) as it is popularly known, had set a new record by handling 72.72 mt, overtaking the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) for achieving the third slot. "This year, we are way ahead of JNPT and will certainly retain the third position. We may end up close to the target set for the current year," an official of VPT told Bizz Buzz. The Ministry of Shipping has set 75 mt as the target for the year before the coronavirus was declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The major cargo handled this year include iron ore and pellets 13.53 mt, POL 12,18 mt, coal 8.06 mt, fertiliser and raw material 2.56 mt, container 6.18 mt and other cargo 9.44 mt.

Import of iron ore has gone up steeply during the year as mining in India more or less remained unaffected due to post-lockdown unlike China. Container export witnessed a marginal increase while all the major ports in the country catered to the requirement in China. There is also an encouraging increase in export of finished steel products.

Shortage of empty containers in China led to fall in exports from China, a steel industry executive said. The port sector in India registered a good growth during the third quarter of the year. According to the industry sources, the major ports during November and December registered a growth of 3 to 4 per cent mainly in the field of imports. Among all the ports, Goa has achieved spectacular growth of 23 per cent due to its specialisation in handling iron ore and meeting the growing demand in China.