Beefed up services meet cold treatment demands

With a large
number of
the Far East
countries
needing cold treatment
for the shipment of
citrus from South Africa,
Mediterranean Shipping
Company has beefed up
its personnel and services
to meet the cold treatment
demands. “This requires
more attention from us,”
says Ian Fairlie, reefer and
marketing manager of
MSC Cape Town.
According to him, MSC
customers now have a
choice of three services
calling South Africa into
the Far East, including a
direct service calling Cape
Town. “This service is
particularly aimed at the
deciduous fruit shippers
from the Western Cape,” he
comments.
MSC has also seen
growth from fruit exporters
on its West African
service, he adds, noting
that the direct route from
Cape Town offers “very
competitive” transit times
into the main African
markets.
Fairlie told FTW that
MSC had a dedicated
team that continuously
monitored the global
shipments of each cold
treatment container,
regularly recording
temperature fluctuations.
“This hands-on focus
has increased shippers’
confidence in the integrity of
their perishables shipments
and we’ve seen a growth in
volumes as a result,” he says.
Challenges at the port
of Cape Town – such as
wind delays – have also
been addressed says Fairlie,
pointing out that the port’s
use of straddle carriers has
been good news for Northern
and Western Cape grape
exporters as they are now
able to get their products out
more quickly to the United
Kingdom and Europe for the
upcoming festive season.
CAPTION
MSC now offers shippers a direct service calling Cape Town
and serving the major reefer destinations in the Far East.