Leonard Neill
EAST LONDON has now added cattle to its growing tally of cars and
containers being exported through the port. Shipments of up to 1 000 head of prime beef are being loaded there each month in a contract with a Mauritius agricultural agency.
Herd of 900 loaded aboard Temburong
"It has added another dimension to what the harbour is offering," says Port Authority spokesman Terry Taylor. "It is truly amazing to think back a mere two years ago when hardly anything moved through here. Now it's cars, containers, maize and cattle in huge volumes."
A herd of 900 were loaded last week aboard the specialised livestock vessel Temburong as part of the contract with Eastern Cape livestock agents Claremont Farms. The loading was undertaken under strict supervision of representatives of the state veterinary service, the SPCA and the SARS livestock unit. This follows complaints which the SPCA recorded previously about the conditions under which the animals were being conveyed in shipments which had passed through Durban.
All parties were satisfied with conditions aboard the Temburong where special methods are employed to ensure a constant fresh supply of water and food. Ventilation ensures that the air in the holds is changed up to 43 times an hour.
The vessel has now been chartered for a period of six months with an extension option included in the contract. Previously cattle were transported to Durban for dispatch to Mauritius, but the local agents have stated that with ever increasing transport costs, this has made the proposition unprofitable.
The cattle are larger than the normal feedlot types that go to local abattoirs, and their condition has to be maintained through the journey, which lasts between six and 10 days.
