Cold store competition hots up in CT

THE BATTLE is about to commence for the hearts and minds of Cape fruit exporters as Transnet Port Terminals takes on Capespan subsidiary, FPT, until now the dominant fresh produce quayside handler. Transnet has been reluctant to discuss its new cold store venture at Eberth in the port of Cape Town, apart from several “no comments”. Now FTW has learned the facility will cost TPT between R45 and R50 million, set to start up in May. Andries van der Merwe, MD of terminal operators, Access Shipping, and previously operations manager at Southern African Fruit Terminals (SAFT), confirms his company’s involvement in what he terms an “assisting” role. Also involved in the venture is Access Shipping director, Patrick McLachlan, former MD of SAFT. “It is a state-of-the art forced cooling facility for warm fruit, up to 1 000 pallets every 24 hours, with total capacity for 4 000 pallets,” says Van der Merwe. “Planning started in May, last year and we hope it will be completed by the end of April.” This is predominantly a high cube and containerisation facility also able to handle conventional vessels. The balance will however be far in containerisation’s favour, probably 75% to 25% conventional, utilising E and F berths while adjacent rival, FPT, has access to B, C and D berths. “We had hoped to be ready for the tail end of the deciduous season but that did not happen and we will probably only be ready for the mid-section of the citrus season. Allaying concerns that TPT is intent on eroding FPT’s client base in its quest for customers, Van der Merwe makes clear there will be no poaching of FPT business; indeed Access Shipping is sourcing the client base on behalf of TPT. As far as he is aware, the new operation is to be called MPT Cold Storage Cape Town. Access Shipping has offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, running cold store operations (16 000 pallets in all) and dry goods stores (45 000m2) in various centres. It hopes to start an operation in Port Elizabeth soon. FPT, which still regards fruit as an important part of its business although diversifying into other commodities several years ago, has been experiencing dwindling fruit volumes in recent years and has had to retrench more than half of its Cape Town staff complement. Danie Maartens, MD of FPT, was not available to comment on the latest revelations.