Recruitment of specialists to handle new commodities on the Beira Corridor is paying off for both shippers and logistics companies, according to Jonathan Middleton, general manager of Beira Logistics Terminals (BLT). The company has been involved in the first consignments of cobalt hydroxide and nickel concentrate, which is improving the cargo mix from the hinterland to balance sulphur that has started moving inland from Beira port. Sulphur will help stabilise volumes through the port. Beira port has been very dependent on seasonal volumes of fertiliser going into Zambia, he says. “There has been a change of mindset with the first shipments of sulphur. We realised that, for these specialist products, you need specialists. As a group J&J Africa has gone out to recruit the skills we need,” he says. BLT is also looking at ways of improving productivity in its warehouses to cater for the growing volumes on the Beira Corridor. “We have implemented systems and invested in equipment which have increased the capacity of the warehouses. A third mobile bagging unit will be acquired for the BLT operation, he adds. Vehicle turn-around times are being reduced through better planning and tracking. Loads are prepared for trucks while they are still inbound thanks to accurate tracking systems which determine the estimated time of arrival of each of the hundreds of trucks that go in and out of the facilities every week. The group is also providing value-added logistics services, where it blends fertilisers to order for Norwegian company Yara, which imports bulk fertiliser chemicals through Beira for distribution to Mozambique and neighbouring countries.
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Sulphur will help stabilise volumes through the port. – Jonathan Middleton
