Cochin airport to construct export centre

Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) plans to boost its exports of perishable cargo with the construction of the country’s largest export centre for perishables with an annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes, Exim News Service said.
CIAL plans to treble its agro products exports to 30,000 tonnes by 2015. It had lagged behind Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode airports in this regard in 2008.
Mr K. Prathapan, Director, State Horticulture Mission, said that this centre would be part of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority’s (Apeda) and the State Horticulture Mission’s efforts to set up key infrastructure facilities for better export competitiveness.
The company had already booked 50 containers and after they arrived, there would be a quantum jump in the total exports of perishables cargo from here, an airport official said.
The 67,056-square metre perishables cargo centre will have three areas, which will take in cargo at its receiving bay, where it will be weighed and computer-scanned.
There are six chambers of varying temperatures and humidity, controlled by computers, and with CCTV surveillance for vegetables, fruit, flowers and non-vegetable items.
It is proposed to locate a plant quarantine near to the export centre so that farmers can stock their materials and benefit from a cold chain link for packing and bulking centres in different parts of the state.
Customs clearance will be conducted through the Electronic Data Interchange Message Exchange Services (EDIMES). And with its hardware almost installed and personnel training of x-ray and security clearance under way, the area is due to become operational by the end of April or early May.

Source: Transportweekly