After a period of delayed throughput caused by staffing and equipment challenges, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) and the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) are collaborating with port users to gear up for a bumper reefer deciduous fruit season starting in November.
CTCT said in a statement on Wednesday that it had held a collaborative planning session with TPT, business leaders in the summer fruit sector, key stakeholders in Paar and the Western Cape provincial government recently, to prepare for the upcoming 2023 season.
Deciduous exports, regarded as one of the busiest for the terminal operations, run from November to March every year.
“As part of the integrated session, the successes and failures of the 2022/23 season were discussed with the aim to continue capitalising on operational pockets of excellence and correcting missteps of the previous season,” CTPT said.
“The seasonal readiness plan includes critical equipment availability as well as the procuring of additional equipment for both the waterside and landside operations.”
TPT said it includes accelerated equipment replacement, capital spares supply and continuous leveraging on Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) partnerships to shorten lead times to repair equipment.
These are some of the plans currently in place to ensure redundancy throughout the season, CTPT said.
TPT managing executive for the Western Cape, Andiswa Dlanga, said CTCT is “well-geared for the deciduous season.
“We had to reflect on what didn’t work well in the past and what can be done differently.
“While CTCT appreciates the crucial role it plays being the gateway to the import/export industry as a terminal, the season’s success requires great collaboration.”
Dlanga added that CTCT intends to effectively implement operational readiness plans during the season, “to ensure optimised outputs for all our stakeholders.”
The terminal, which exports high quantities of fruit to global markets including, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, handled 183 430 TUEs of deciduous fruit in the 2022/23 financial year. Exports are projected to grow by about 21% during the 2023/24 season.
