Performance of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) during the outgoing fiscal year 2007-08 registered a healthy trend. Exports of bulk cargo through Karachi Port depicted a massive increase of 80.37 percent, recording 4,243,608 metric tons, as compared to the previous year, said a press release on Thursday.
In 2005-06, the Karachi Port was able to handle 959,365 metric tons of bulk cargo and with which if the comparison is made, the actual growth rate of bulk cargo exports from Karachi Port would be 342.33 percent.
This happened mainly due to bulk exports of clinker and cement, which gained momentum at Karachi Port and increased by 191.43 percent and 213.25 percent respectively, the statement said. Comparing handling of bulk cement this year with that of 2005-06, it depicts that its handling has increased manifolds by 1878.32 percent.
Besides cement and clinker in bulk, the port has handled rice (936,667 metric tons), sugar (13,036 metric tons) and coke (8,300 metric tons). Bulk cargo imports also showed improvements and registered an increase of 24.65 percent from corresponding period last year.
This year the port has handled fertiliser (1,486,512 metric tons), rock phosphate (477,071 metric tons), iron/scrap (160,854 metric tons), sulphur (2,500 metric tons), seeds (36,203 metric tons, cement (3,556,246 metric tons), yellow peas (10,700 metric tons), canola (144,746 metric tons) and wheat (473,384 metric tons), the press release said. The dry general cargo exports handling this year closed at 5,166,812 metric tons registering an increase of 43.87 percent.-PR