Tea Board mulls Tea park at Cochin port

Kochi, July 13 (IANS) Talks have begun between Cochin Port Trust (CPT) and the Tea Board with the former willing to lease out land to set up a Tea Park, according to CPT officials.

The top officials of CPT led by its chairman G. Senthilvel met up with A.C. Paulrasu, executive director, Tea Board and briefed him about the various facilities available at Cochin Port for handling tea exports.

The facilities placed before the Tea Board officials include highest productivity at the Container Terminal at Kochi, dedicated train service from Irugur to Vallarpadham, resolving the Walayar checkpost issues through cooperation from the state government, green channel at Walayar checkpost for self-sealed and excise sealed containers.

Following assurance by the Cochin Port officials that adequate land is available which can be offered on mutually agreeable terms, Paulrasu assured that setting up of a Tea Park at Cochin Port would be examined for which he would visit the Cochin Port shortly.

CPT official's points out that a Tea Park would enable the exporters to reduce their logistics cost which in turn could increase their returns.

CPT handles about 70,000 million kg of the 96,000 million kg handled in South India as there is a weekly mainline direct shipping service from Cochin to various destinations at Europe, Middle East, China and other SAARC countries.

This gives exporters a savings of about $95 per container and a week's saving in transit time, since direct services avoid transhipment at neighbouring foreign ports.