ASTRAKHAN, October 25. /TASS/. Transshipment of grain constituting the basis of the freight turnover of Astrakhan ports surged 2.5-fold above the last year figure and reached 1.4 mln metric tons, Governor of the Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin told TASS in an interview.
"Cargo throughput via Astrakhan ports stood at almost three mln metric tons as of the last-year end. We have already surpassed this figure as of the end of nine months. I am confident the freight turnover will only grow further on. Grain, with marked increase in throughput by 2.5 times to 1.4 mln metric tons, continues to be its base," the governor said.
Cement transshipment surged more than twofold. Throughput of containers gained 40% and transshipment of equipment - 70%, Babushkin added. Volumes moved up in particular owing to more intensive transportation over the North - South international transport corridor and cooperation with Caspian nations and Belarus.