The East London Terminal has resumed the export and import of maize and wheat after almost two years of the silo facility’s temporary closure due to a severe decline in volumes regionally.
This comes as the BELSOUTH arrived at the terminal for the loading of 44 000 tons of maize destined for Mexico recently.
TPT said East London grain volumes had started declining from one million tons to 48 000 tons per annum in 2021. The grain elevator, which is also one of the largest silos in the country with a capacity of 66 000 tons, became financially constrained, and a decision was taken to temporarily close the facility until business opportunities opened up again in the market. However, the terminal continued to discharge grain using a direct discharge operating model, where cargo is loaded onto trucks and taken to an external facility immediately.
“The collaboration between the East London Terminal, local and regional stakeholders, as well as industry, is unprecedented and has unlocked further economic opportunities for the Eastern Cape,” said Naliya Stamper, East London Terminal manager.
TPT had identified East London as one of two major facilities for the industry’s export and import of total grain volumes countrywide.
Stamper added that TPT had conducted risk assessments identifying safety critical issues ahead of the reopening of the silo facility’s operations to ensure that it adhered to the safe storage of agricultural bulk commodities. The Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) conducted several audits and awarded the terminal with the relevant food safety and rail operation certification.
