Exporters are yet to know of the new cargo complex at the Mangalore International Airport, Mohammed Haneef, owner, Shireen Exports, and the first person to export fish from the complex, told The Hindu. He sent 517 kg of pomfret from Mangalore to Kuwait on Wednesday.
From the factory to the cargo complex, he made the ice transport arrangements. It reached the destination in good condition. Next, he is gearing up to send 1,000 kg of white pomfret to Dubai this Saturday.
J.T. Radhakrishnan, Director, Mangalore Airport, said, “That’s what we want to complain… though we opened the cargo complex, in the last two months it (response) is still not encouraging.” The cargo complex has all the facilities although there are two issues that need to be addressed. One, computer connection from the cargo complex to the central network called Electronic Data (or Document) Interchange (EDI) is required.
EDI is central to electronic commerce (EC), and is paperless exchange of business information. Two, office rooms are required for the plant and quarantine section, which food products must pass through.
Though a desk of Customs does exist at the complex, exporters must go to Panambur Customs House for paperwork till computer connection to EDI is available. Goods, however, can be approved by Customs and directly checked into the cargo facility. But if the goods consist of food products, they must go through the quarantine section.
He said the volume of export had been low in the last two months partly because of heavy rains.
