Low air cargo capacity worries cane exporters

Pongal can never be complete without sugarcane. Indians living in south-east Asian and Gulf countires who were finding it difficult to get access to the cane could now find them in neighbourhood shops. 

The cargo division of the international airport cargo here is sending at least 15 tonnes of the black sugarcane variety this year alone to these countries for the Pongal season. 

Although the lack of space in passenger flights has been worrying the exporters, quantitiy of sugarcane sent abroad has risen over the years. 

According to exporters in Trichy division, sugarcane is primarily sent to countries such as Singapore, Kuwait, Muscat and Malaysia. 

The international airport here provides access only to these countries, and all the passenger flights are being loaded with sugarcanes. 

Farmers from the central districts, which are known for the cultivation of this grass, are using the opportunity to export it to other countries. 

According to A Moorthy, a city-based agent engaged in the export industry, ever since the airport obtained clearance for exporting perishable goods, the sugarcane export has been steadily rising, along with export of other goods. 

"What started with one tonne a few years ago is now standing at over 15 tonnes with no space left in the passenger flights for the cargo," he said. 

The entire sugarcane, including the leaves, is completely packed using coir mats and then loaded into the cargo deck of the flights. 

H Ubaidullah, an aviation analyst, said, "As passengers increase, it is difficult to accommodate such perishable goods in the cargo deck and it is high time the potential of the airport for the introduction of cargo flights be understood." 

A senior cargo official at the airport said that the potential for perishable goods to be sent abroad is abundant and there are several suppliers from the various parts of the district using the services of the airport. However, the lack of flights is a major concern, he said. 

The airport receives at least 250 passengers on a daily basis, boarding the five international airways that take them to various destinations abroad, mostly to the south-east Asian nations. The export of sugarcane is expected to go up in coming years

Source