Shipping tobacco through the Port of Beira is about a lot more than transport and logistics. Dealing with pests ranging from tobacco moths and spider beetles to bacon beetles and tobacco beetles is part and parcel of the process. The 2-4 mm beetle is a perennial problem for all companies involved in shipping the cargo through the port of Beira. Without certification the container is not allowed onto the vessel as it poses a risk to other shipments. Tobacco is treated prior to shipment in the warehouse or in the container. In addition, traps are set in the container, and checked on unpacking. In practice, loads are usually disinfected in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia before being sent to Beira, and again before being loaded due to reinfection and the hatching of eggs and pupa not affected by fumigation. It is not only the containers that are subject to scrutiny. The ocean-going vessel should also be inspected and certified for fitness to carry tobacco, according to the Transport Information Service (TIS) of the German Insurance Association (GDV). It is perhaps ironic that millions of rand are spent on combating pests in a product destined to go up in smoke (literally)!
