The Port of Townsville has reached a milestone in chickpea exports, with the first dry export now bound for India and Pakistan.
The 38,000 tonnes of chickpeas were transported from North Queensland growers to a storage facility in Townsville before being loaded onto a ship for the port, in a landmark achievement.
Sizer & Cogill Bulk General Carriers director Chris Sizer, who worked on the export project for five years, was the dedicated export driver.
“Seeing grain pulses leave Townsville in bulk for the first time is not just a business achievement, it’s a win for the whole supply chain,” Sizer said.
“This has always been about giving our growers more options and creating efficiency in how we move their product.”
Port of Townsville general manager for business development Drew Penney said the port has been exporting containerised pulses and grains packed by Sizer & Cogill and described the achievement as “momentous for everyone involved.”
“The milestone export shipment will be noticed not only by industry, but also our international customers, showing our readiness and capability to be able to handle such as significant shipment. We’re always looking for ways to further support our North Queensland growers, industry stakeholders, and customers, especially to meet global demand for products such as chickpeas,” Penny said.
“The work that Sizer and the team have done during the last five years to make sure this milestone chickpea shipment came to fruition is commendable. I also want to thank our port staff who worked closely with Sizer to prepare for the shipment.”
Sizer said that the company’s new purpose-built storage and handling facility on the port’s access road is now operational.
