Port Investment Is Bearing Fruit; Handling Perishable Cargo Is a Trade That Has Returned to Liverpool after a 30-Year Gap. Alex Turner Reports IN ASSOCIATION WITH Rensburg Sheppards Investment Management

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Byline: Alex Turner

YEARS of investment and hard work is beginning to bear fruit at the Port of Liverpool, with the return of a trade that deserted the docks nearly three decades ago.

An infamous incident when pounds 125,000 worth of bananas were dumped into the Irish Sea in 1969, see panel, hit the Port's reputation for handling perishable cargo.

But now new fruit and vegetable quayside handling facilities are to be constructed by terminal operator Go Associates at Seaforth.

The news is the latest chapter in a general revival of trade at the Port.

Liverpool handled 9m tonnes of cargo in 1985, but by last year volumes had increased to 34m tonnes and it now handles more container trade with the USA and Canada than any other port in the UK.

Today, about 5,000 people are working behind the dock gates with 23,000 jobs across the region dependent on the port.

Now the planned Liverpool Produce Terminal (LPT) will be a 90,000 sq ft cool store with capacity for 5,000 tonnes of fruit and …