South Africa’s deciduous fruit season has kicked off, with the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) exceeding weekly volumes by 32% for two consecutive weeks.
Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) said in a statement on Thursday that the first few vessels to depart had been carrying exports destined for Europe and the United Kingdom. The season’s fruit includes table grapes, pomegranates, stone fruits and berries.
TPT added that the port was prepared to handle high volumes during the season. “In cases of deviations, or when the terminal anticipates increased volumes, the port has incorporated additional operational resources during the night shift for recovery. A total of 200 reefer plug points have also been added this season bringing the total plug points to 3 200, while another ship-to-shore crane was now available for the season after its commissioning and handover to operations in October.
“The initiatives in place and efforts made will enable maximum deployment of our equipment, which will boost productivity and enhance our service to our customers. As the Cape Town Container Terminal, we continue to work hard in optimising our logistics for the success of the deciduous fruit season,” TPT managing executive for the Western Cape Terminals, Andiswa Dlanga, said.
TPT added that the terminal’s management would continue to engage with the industry as volumes were estimated to increase by 5% year on year. Last year, the Cape Town Container Terminal handled more than 80 000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs).
