‘Alternative markets must be sought’

RAY SMUTS GREATER UTILISATION of specialised reefer vessels is on the cards following this season’s highly successful South African citrus export programme by Cape Reefers/Universal Reefers to the United States. Cape Reefers MD Gerhard van Heerden says the use of specialised reefer vessels to convey temperature sensitive products has again demonstrated the high level of quality results against other alternatives. In the year to date, Cape Reefers/Universal Reefers dispatched ten vessels to the United States and in Van Heerden’s estimation this programme will be marginally bigger than last year. Pointing to the 2004 fruit season as marked by “its challenges and rewards”, he says shipments of grapes from the northern Cape started later this year, but even so Cape Reefers/Universal Reefers was able to place the first specialised reefer vessel in the lucrative UK market. The strong euro made the European market more attractive to South American producers than the United States which not only applied pressure on the market for South African produce but also resulted in longer sea miles and a consequent shortage of vessels. Referring to the plea by President Mbeki for South African businesses to support their own, Van Heerden says: “It is rewarding to experience the support of South African producers and exporters toward South African service providers.” Cape Reefers/Universal Reefers is the only South African specialised reefer operator focusing primarily on this country’s produce and is currently handling more than 40% of produce exported on specialised reefers. Commenting on the citrus protocol signed recently between China and South Africa, Van Heerden says it is early days yet as all the intricacies of such an arrangement have yet to be made known. “Looking at world population growth there is a decrease in Europe so alternative markets will have to be sought and that is where China can certainly play a very important role.”