| The port, which holds the numero uno position in cargo handling for the last four years in the country, registered a shortfall of 40 per cent in foodgrain exports during 2003-04. On the other hand, it has posted about 350 per cent growth in soya extract exports during the same period. |
| During 2002-03, Vizag port exported nearly 20.54 lakh tonnes of foodgrains (wheat and rice), but it handled only 12.46 lakh tonnes of foodgrains in 2003-04. |
| This shortfall of more than eight lakh tonnes was largely due to the changing government policies on foodgrain exports and non availability of sufficient rail rakes from the northern parts of the country for the movement of foodgrains. |
| "Several private exporters have been preferring Vizag port for foodgrain exports due to less pre-berthing detention time, high loading capacity, low handling charges apart from several other advantages. But because of the shortage of rail rakes and changing government policies, our foodgrain exports have dropped significantly in the last fiscal," K S D Dattu Raju, traffic manager, Visakhapatnam Port, told Business Standard. |
| Visakhapatnam port is expecting more soya extract cargo in the current fiscal as Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are having a bumper soya crop this season, most of which is usually exported. In order to attract this cargo towards Visakhapatnam, the port officials have been touring these states to meet the soya exporters. |
| "We have already conducted meets for exporters and traders at Nagpur and Rayagada recently to explain about our facilities in soya exports. Many exporters have evinced their interest in bringing their soya cargo to Visakhapatnam port. We, therefore, are expecting more soya extract cargo this fiscal," he said. |
| This year, the port is expecting about 3-4 lakh tonnes of soya extract cargo to Visakhapatnam. |
| During 2003-04, the port handled about 1.71 lakh tonnes of soya extract as compared with 38,000 tonnes in the previous year. |
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