Shreyas to start New service from KAKKINADA PORT to ICTT VALLARPADAM,COCHIN

Mumbai-based Shreyas Shipping and Logistics has won a contract from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to move 20,000 tonnes of foodgrains every month by sea from Andhra Pradesh to Kerala.

This will be the first time FCI would be moving foodgrains in containers by sea, the company said in a notice to the stock exchanges.more economical

When contacted, K. V. Thomas, Union Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution, told Business Line that earlier these consignments were transported through rail wagons and non availability of 40-rake wagons forced the FCI to look for alternative methods. Besides, movement by sea would be more economical, he said.

This will also be a major boost to the Kerala’s efforts to promote coastal shipping, he said. Shreyas Relay Systems Ltd, a subsidiary of Shreays Shipping, will execute the contract for multimodal handling and transportation of foodgrains, mainly rice from Kakinada to Kochi. The company plans to deploy a 400 TEU container vessel and have at least three voyages a month, said a company official.

“For the return trip, we plan to pick up cargo from Gujarat that can be transhipped to Vallarpadam terminal in Kochi via Chennai,” the official said.

A senior FCI official here said the movement of foodgrains by sea is expected to start by the first week of February. The monthly volume might go up to 30,000 tonnes a month depending o
n the availability of containers.

Transit loss

Besides coastal movement being cheaper, carrying foodgrains in containers will reduce transit loss and damages. Containerised cargo can also be delivered at the door step of the FCI designated depots in a seamless manner and the movement of containers can be tracked throughout, the official added.

According to the official, Kollam port would be included in the next phase for handling the cargo, based on the success in Kochi. The Government wanted minimum demurrage while handling the cargo. There are also plans to link other minor ports such as Vizhinjam, Beypore and Azheekal in this venture, as a study team constituted by the State Government had given its nod in favour of this.

Export hub

The Government also plans to make Kochi port an export hub for rice and wheat shortly, he added.

An official from DP World which runs the Vallarpadam terminal in Kochi, said the commencement of this coastal service would add the terminal throughput by another 1,500 TEUs per month from the existing 30,000 TEUs.

Moreover, it will definitely enhance the connectivity and frequency to other East Coast ports, thereby making Vallarpadam an ideal transhipment hub for cargo originating from India or landing up in Indian ports.