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Kochi airport to boost vegetable, fish export

       Kochi: Keralites in the Gulf region will soon be able to buy fresh vegetables and fish exported from here. Thanks to the initiative by the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) to set up a Rs 30 crore unit at its airport at Nedumbassery to keep fresh the vegetables being exported from here. The unit is all ready for commissioning in March next year. The Centre will chip in Rs 13 crore in the CIAL initiative. According to CIAL sources, no additional amount would be charged from the farmers for the process of keeping vegetables fresh. This venture will boost the Gulf's demand of vegetables from Kerala, which in turn will increase farmers' returns, they said. "We hope that our initiative will bring about revolutionary changes in Kerala's farm sector. It will be a boost for the vegetable farmers of the state," sources said. Last year, CIAL exported 8000 tonnes of vegetables to the Gulf countries. An increase of 15 to 20 percent is expected this year. Exports to the Gulf from Kochi suffered a set back with the withdrawal of wide-bodied aircraft by Air India following the introduction of its budget-airline Air-India Express While the wide-bodied aircraft offers room for nearly eight tonnes of cargo, the aircraft operated by Air-India Express provide space for only two tonnes.
-Oct 1,  2006

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