Perishable Cargo Cleared by MPL Rises by 475 Tonnes in 10 Days

The volume of perishable goods cleared by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) has increased by 475 freight tonnes (FT) over the past ten days, according to the company’s latest daily statistics.

MPL reported that 4,989 FT of cargo across 203 consignments were cleared on 1 March, compared with 5,464 FT and 277 consignments cleared on 11 March.

The figures indicate a rise of about 9.5 percent in total cargo cleared during the period, while the number of consignments processed increased by roughly 36 percent.

Data on individual perishable items also showed notable changes. The number of banana consignments cleared rose from 646 packages on 1 March to 1,123 packages by 11 March. Watermelon consignments increased from 1,788 to 2,174 packages over the same period.

Tomato consignments recorded one of the sharpest increases, rising from 237 packages to 831 packages. Egg consignments also increased slightly, from 2,769 packages to 2,998 packages. However, onion consignments fell from 1,826 packages on 1 March to 1,488 packages by 11 March.

The statistics also show increased port activity overall. The higher number of consignments cleared suggests that MPL handled more frequent shipments, although the total cargo weight grew at a slower pace.

Operational data for 11 March also showed a balanced flow of container traffic at the Malé Commercial Harbour, with 244 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) unloaded and 246 TEUs loaded during the day, bringing total throughput to 490 TEUs.

The rise in cargo clearance comes during the middle of Ramadan, when demand for fresh food items and retail goods typically increases across the Maldives.