KOCHI: Cochin Port has received an automated bagging unit for the packing of the fertilizers imported via here. The bagging unit comprises of grabs, hopper, bagging plant, weighing machines, stitching machines and a conveyor belt. Each bagging plant comprises of two bagging lines. The bagging unit can handle 140 tonnes of fertilizer ( 2800 bags of 50 kg) per hour.Aggrieved by the shortage of labourers, the Cochin Port Trust decided to procure an automatic bagging unit to clear the imported cargo. The Trust had invited tender for supply of an automatic bagging unit. The port management was prompted to introduce mechanisation due to the recent delay in clearing fertilisers imported by FACT and the Indian Potash Limited in November last year. Around 24,000 tonnes of urea and 27,000 tonnes of potash remains uncleared at the godowns for the want of labourers. The fertilisers reached the port in the second week of November.The Kerala Head Load Workers Welfare Fund Board was not able to provide enough labourers to clear the load. The cause of the shortage was the compartmentalisation of labourers into various water-tight pools within the Welfare Board, where over 2500 workers are registered. Despite the lack of work for workers in other pools, they could not be spared by the Board resulting in shortage amidst plenty.The Welfare Board is able to supply only around 40 workers on an average against a demand of 120. The issue of low rate of clearance of imported fertilisers had an adverse impact on the agricultural sector and resulted in skyrocketing of prices. The unit was imported by Lots Shipping Company.
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