Capacity squeeze limits SA’s perishable export potential

There has been a definite increase in enquiries for South African perishables, despite a shortage of reefers to ship products out of the country, according to Liz Pereira, exports manager of Buffalo Freight in Johannesburg. South Africa remains a major player in the export of perishable goods with especially beef and fruit in high demand, she told FTW. “We have seen an increase in the enquiries and have signed some contracts already. Our beef is in particularly high demand as it is of outstanding quality and is attracting importers from all over the world. South African fruit, although seasonal, is always in demand especially to Europe.” Pereira says the company has existing contracts ranging from the export of chilled beef to Mauritius to oranges and lemons for Europe. “We have definitely seen an increase in the number of perishable enquiries in recent weeks despite the economic crunch. Food products remain a necessity and South Africa has a very high standard.” Currently in the pipeline is an enquiry to fly more than 200 tons of chilled beef to Egypt daily, while in May this year a contract kicks off for 700 containers of citrus to be exported to Europe annually. “Shipping perishables has however become problematic in recent times as it is dependent on space and equipment availability on the reefers.” A situation that has not been helped by service cuts by shipping lines, among them Maersk Line which in December called off some of its ships. In a memorandum to clients, the line said the decision had been taken due to a lack of cargo, something many industry experts say they have never experienced before. “We cannot deliver on our contracts if we cannot get space on the reefers. It is a dire situation which must be addressed if we want to successfully supply the demand for our perishable products,” said Pereira.