Shippers switch to
air and pallets
Ray Smuts
EXTREME actions call for effective parrying and Cape grape exporters have done just that to counter the potentially disastrous effects of the recent national port strike which all but put paid to shipping movements in the Mother City and cost the economy dearly.
They moved decisively to ensure their last pre-Christmas sea shipments for 2001 ended on a happy note for all - growers, exporters, shippers, retailers and consumers.
"We have not lost money quite yet and in order to make our markets in time are also flying to the UK around 800 000 cartons of grapes at a cost of about £22 or £23 apiece in anticipation of good prices" said Gawie Nieuwoudt, of the Orange River Valley Producer's Alliance (ORPA).
Nieuwoudt was upbeat about "amazing" pre-Christmas European grape prices in the offing; around 33 Euros per 4,5kg carton, equivalent to about 22 or 23 Pounds Sterling.
"Pre-Christmas export grapes to Europe and the United Kingdom are the highest value fruit we have, currently realising more than R100 per 4,5kg carton for the producer back on the farm," said Capespan's logistics expert Dr Dawie Ferreira.
"If our grapes were only to become available immediately after Christmas, retail prices would fall by up to 30% and by between 40% and 50% two or three weeks thereafter which naturally means considerably lower prices for the producer."
As palletised loading onto conventional ships was not affected - Capespan subsidiary Fresh Produce Terminals not being dependent on Portnet by virtue of its own labour source and equipment - exporters switched 220 of the 350 pallets of grapes originally intended as containerised cargo on the SA Sederberg to Seatrade's Ivory Ace in order to ensure timely arrival in the UK and Europe.
