Citrus production is projected to grow to 140 million cartons by 2020/2022 but the lack of reefer equipment supply will become a significant challenge for citrus exports by 2020. This is according to Mitchell Brooke, logistics development manager for the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA), speaking at the Special Interest Group (Sig) Transport Forum in Nelspruit recently. He said that the entire supply chain – cartons, pallet bases, transport, cold storage, container equipment, port services, efficiency and port infrastructure and shipping capacity – would need to be geared towards this growth “Citrus producers and exporters will need to be on top of their logistics and consider all options to gain an advantage,” Brooke pointed out, while CGA CEO Justin Chadwick said in a recent weekly newsletter that DP World Maputo was currently making “extensive upgrades” to the container terminal in the port. “This investment is on track to see a large volume of container traffic being moved from Durban to Maputo over the next three years,” said Chadwick. “Given the growth forecasts and the ongoing congestion and inefficiency problems in Durban, it is best that this happenes sooner rather than later,” he said. Using the chicken/egg analogy, Brooke said DP World Maputo had laid the egg but that it was now up to other supply chain players to produce the “chicken”. “Lines need to introduce weekly services, starting with transhipments to the Middle East and Far East via the Indian Ocean Islands,” he said, adding that producers needed to push exporters and agents to pursue opportunities, “Let’s adopt a ‘make things happen mentality’ and bring the chicken home to roost,” said Brooke. Tejas Nataraj, CEO of DP World Maputo, told delegates at the Transport Forum that the hinterland markets in South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe had access to “excellent road and rail connections” to Maputo. “Furthermore, in order to provide the trade with more viable gateway options, we are developing direct connections to the Far East, the east coast of the United States, the Mediterranean and North Europe as well as the Middle East, with regular feeders to all the major ports on the east/ west coast of Africa,” he pointed out. As part of a threephased approach leading to 2020, DP World Maputo is set to triple its present operating capacity from 150 000 TEUs to 650 000. The quay length will be doubled and the depth alongside will increase from 12.5m to 14.5m – able to berth post panamax size container ships. The terminal has further purchased three ship to shore (STS) cranes and 12 rubber tyre gantries (RTGs). Reefer capacity will increase from 196 plug points to 700.
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Citrus producers and exporters will need to be on top of their logistics and consider all options to gain an advantage. – Mitchell Brooke
