First controlled atmosphere warehouses for Beira

Beira’s first controlled atmosphere warehouses are being built by Transcom Sharaf, which is also celebrating its tenth anniversary. The controlled atmosphere warehouses will enable cargo owners to treat their tobacco and other agricultural products without having to use phosphine gas, according to Guy Harvey the founder of the company. “Chemical fumigation is the current standard in the tobacco industry, however beetles are developing resistance to the chemical phosphine which is used during the fumigation process. Controlled atmosphere treatment will offer an alternative to chemical fumigation” he says. There is also increasing demand for “organic” tobacco. “Most of the tobacco grown in the region is already considered organic by the industry, and it needs to be treated as such,” he says. The 12 chambers will be installed in the new 16 000 sqm tobacco warehouse with a capacity of 84 000 metric tons per annum, according to regional general manager Allison Pinheiro. The controlled atmosphere chambers have also been designed to cater for fresh produce storage and exports. “We will have sufficient capacity to meet the initial demand,” she says. The investment in the new chambers is part of a multi-million dollar expansion in Beira by Transcom Sharaf. It will be adding another 16 000 sqm of warehousing to supplement the 20 000 sqm already under roof. Opened in 2003 in Lilongwe Malawi, Transcom has expanded to meet the growing demand for its services by the industry. It opened offices in Johannesburg, Tete and Beira in late 2004. This was followed by Durban in 2008 and Harare Zimbabwe in 2011. In 2007, Transcom Sharaf was formed through the conclusion of a partnership agreement between Transcom and Dubai-based Sharaf Group. The partnership built the first dedicated tobacco warehouse facility in Beira outside of the port. Transcom Sharaf can store over 2000 TEUs, and is being expanded to meet the growing demand for a full logistics service, says Pinheiro. At present the facilities in Beira also handle cotton and bagged fertiliser amongst other general cargo imports and exports. An agreement with a Mozambiquan trucking company to take over the management of the Transcom Sharaf fleet will free up management time in the Beira warehouse facility to focus more on service and adding value, she says. It will also allow Transcom Sharaf to offer its services to other sectors of the market. Volumes are expected to increase as shippers start making greater use of the port of Beira, which is operating much more efficiently following the commissioning of new ship to-shore gantries and continued investment by Cornelder de Mozambique. according to Guy Harvey. INSERT & CAPTION We will have sufficient capacity to meet the initial demand. – Allison Pinheiro