Despite competition from private ports like Gangavaram and Kakinada, Visakhapatnam port attracted 2.9 million tonne (mt) additional cargo during the first quarter of the current financial year as compared with the corresponding period last year.

In the first quarter, the port handled 18.6 mt cargo, a growth of 18.47 per cent, as against 15.7 mt last year. Petroleum products stood at 5.9 mt, iron ore and ore pellets 4.4 mt, coking coal 1.9 mt, fertilisers and fertiliser raw materials 630,000 tonne, thermal coal 860,000 tonne, container cargo 830,000 tonne and other cargo at about 4 mt.

“This time, we received more petroleum products transshipment cargo and iron ore, which boosted the growth,” Naresh Kumar, secretary of Vizag port, told Business Standard.

The two nearby private ports, however, did not cross the last year figures. During the first quarter of last year, Kakinada seaport handled about 2 mt whereas this year it was 1.8 mt. Gangavaram port handled nearly 4 mt during last year Q1, whereas this year it declined marginally.

Speaking on the performance, a senior Kakinada port official said coal tenders with NTPC were yet to be finalised and imported fertiliser pricing had not been completed by the government. "This impacted our coal and fertiliser handling in the first quarter of this fiscal,” the official said.