<p></p><p>The New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) authorities on Tuesday urged cashew importers and exporters to make optimum use of advanced facilities being provided at the port to enhance their trade activities. <br></p> <p>Speaking at an interactive trade meet with traders at NMPT, Deputy Chairman Suresh P. Shirwadkar said that there had been a steady growth in handling of raw cashew and cashew kernels at the Port. He urged the traders to make optimum use of the facilities available at the Port. <br></p> <p>Mr. Shirwadkar said that the frequency of container vessels calling on NMPT had increased to one vessel in every four days. It was due to more number of feeder operators commencing operations to NMPT. <br></p> <p>There had been considerable growth in container traffic at NMPT. From 8,943 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) in 2004-05, the traffic had increased to 62,808 TEUs in 2014-15. At the same time, cashew traffic too had increased from 8,006 TEUs (1.47 lakh tonnes) in 2013-14 to 13,258 TEUs (2.35 lakh tonnes) in 2014-15, registering 53 per cent growth, he said. <br></p> <p>Traffic Manager Y.R. Belagal, Plant Quarantine Manager Gulab Singh, Karnataka Cashew Industries Association president Bola Rahul Kamath, K. Prakash Rao of Kalbavi Industries attended the meet.<br></p><p></p>