Wheat unloading begins as joint forces intervene
Monday, 5 November 2007
Unloading of over 0.2 million tonnes of imported wheat, stockpiled in the ships at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong Port for a long time, has begun following intervention by the Army-led joint forces and implementation of some measures by them, reports BSS.
Now the unloaded wheat can be supplied to the markets soon.
The joint forces took the initiative Friday night after being informed that huge amount of privately imported wheat was not unloaded despite the consignments reached at the outer anchorage on September in more than one hundred lighterage and some mother vessels.
Sources said, some unscrupulous importers have done this intentionally for making windfall profit by creating an artificial crisis of wheat in the market.
Trade body leaders said, had the consignments of wheat unloaded and supplied in the market timely, the prices of flour could not have been reached at the present abnormal level.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Muhammad Farooq said at present wheat is being unloaded from two mother vessels and 11 lighter vessels at port jetties.
"We always allow the lighter vessels to have berth at the port for discharging their cargoes whenever there are scopes, but it is not possible when the berthing facilities are occupied by big ships," he added.
Sources said, 26,360 out of 43,400 tonnes of wheat were unloaded from mother vessel MV Golden Sarinda, while 16,649 out of 25,000 tonnes from MV Lakearua until Sunday noon. On the other hand, about 5,000 out of around 10,000 tonnes of wheat were discharged from 11 lighter vessels.
Now the unloaded wheat can be supplied to the markets soon.
The joint forces took the initiative Friday night after being informed that huge amount of privately imported wheat was not unloaded despite the consignments reached at the outer anchorage on September in more than one hundred lighterage and some mother vessels.
Sources said, some unscrupulous importers have done this intentionally for making windfall profit by creating an artificial crisis of wheat in the market.
Trade body leaders said, had the consignments of wheat unloaded and supplied in the market timely, the prices of flour could not have been reached at the present abnormal level.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Muhammad Farooq said at present wheat is being unloaded from two mother vessels and 11 lighter vessels at port jetties.
"We always allow the lighter vessels to have berth at the port for discharging their cargoes whenever there are scopes, but it is not possible when the berthing facilities are occupied by big ships," he added.
Sources said, 26,360 out of 43,400 tonnes of wheat were unloaded from mother vessel MV Golden Sarinda, while 16,649 out of 25,000 tonnes from MV Lakearua until Sunday noon. On the other hand, about 5,000 out of around 10,000 tonnes of wheat were discharged from 11 lighter vessels.