Exporters gain traction in Middle and Far East

Reefer cargo exports
from South Africa
to the Middle
and Far East
are rapidly increasing and
slowly overtaking South
Africa’s ‘traditional’ reefer trade
lane to Europe.
According to Safmarine
managing director Dirk
Hoffmann, reefer exports to
the Middle East have increased
in volume by over 20% year to
date, with the Far East route up
at least
10%. “These
increases can
be attributed
to a faster
population
growth
and more
disposable
income in the
region,” he
says.
In
particular,
there has been
a significant
increase in the volume of citrus
and apples being exported
to these regions. “In terms
of citrus exports, we are at
the peak of the citrus export
season. Citrus exports are a
combined 50% of the total
perishable export volume from
South Africa.”
According to Hoffmann,
in the past
reefer cargo
to the Middle
and Far East
was very low
yielding. “Now
that this type
of export is
growing, the
dynamics
of the South
Africa/
Middle/
Far East
trade lanes is
evolving in terms of diversity of
cargo. It is interesting to note
how the demand for this type of
cargo has changed in the recent
past,” he said.
Hoffmann said that
exploring new trade routes
presented opportunities
for South African fruit
exporters. “New routes can
however present challenges,
including cultural differences
and longer transit times.
Different countries have
different values and ways of
conducting business, and if
the legal complexities, culture
and language of a country are
not known, business could
potentially be jeopardised.”
Hoffmann said that for
South Africa’s fruit producers
to meet the growing demand
for fruit in the East, exporters
needed to partner with
reliable specialists who
made use of technologically
advanced and temperaturesensitive
containers. “These
partners should also possess
the necessary knowledge and
experience to facilitate the
entire supply chain process.”
Parent company the Maersk
Group recently purchased
20 000 reefer containers for
global distribution which
will enable suppliers to
expand into new markets
and capitalise on new
opportunities, says Hoffmann.
“These containers offer
various advantages, including
the provision of an unbroken
cold chain from producer to
supermarket. Although
the route from South
Africa to the East
is further than
from South Africa
to Europe, and
the fruit stays in
transit for a much
longer period
of time, the
containers ensure that fruit
remains fresh on arrival,” he
said.
INSERT & CAPTION
Reefer exports to
the Middle East have
increased in volume
by over 20% year to
date.
– Dirk Hoffmann