It is imperative that South Africa keeps abreast of the latest developments and global trends in perishable exports, says Lucien Jansen, CEO of the Perishables Products Export Control Board (PPECB).
Jansen says the country needs to improve and adapt continuously in order to remain competitive in international markets.
“South Africa has very stringent export requirements – quality, phytosanitary and food safety – making us a very reputable supplier of perishable produce worldwide,” he told FTW.
“If constant growth in exports is anything to go by, we believe that South African fruit is still in high demand and remains competitive in international markets.”
But there was always room for improvement, said Jansen, and various research initiatives that were driven by the PPECB and industry bodies to determine the optimum temperature controls and various modes of handling, packaging, storage and distribution for specific products were evidence of this.
“We’re involved in research and development of specific modes of transportation systems and trials on various airflow patterns within a transport system that will enhance the cooling effect of a refrigeration system.”
According to Jansen emphasis is also being placed on cold treatment shipments with a drive towards using more modern technology like remote temperature monitoring systems where cargo temperatures are monitored and tracked while cargo is in transit.
