KARACHI – Under the Government of Pakistan’s (GOP) wheat export policy for 2011, the first vessel of the season “MV LAGONDA” docked at the Fauji Akbar Portia Marine Terminal (FAP) at Port Qasim to load about 27,000 metric tonnes of bulk wheat being exported through the private sector. The docking of the vessel is a landmark for the FAP Terminal as it marks the first occasion when a commodity is being exported from this facility which has its own dedicated jetty and steel silos with a storage capacity of up to 80,000 tonnes for wheat.
The terminal, which was recently inaugurated by the prime minister, is built on nine hectares of land reclaimed from the sea and features a 300 meter-long dedicated jetty that can accommodate ships with a draft of 11.50 meters, length of 300 meters and 40 meters beam (width). Last month, the terminal handled “MV Panagiotis D”, the first dry bulk oilseed cargo vessel with an 11.5 meter draft to call at Port Qasim. The terminal, which has a storage capacity of over 120,000 metric tonnes in the form of silos, warehouses and flat storage, is expected to play a pivotal role in the GOP’s wheat export program through the private sector.
