Lines deploy SA reefer vessels in more lucrative waters

… but they’ll be back soon
RAY SMUTS
REPORTS OF a temporary retreat from the SA – Europe trade by specialised reefer operator Seatrade, now partnering LauritzenCool, have been described as ‘a lot of nonsense’ by Anton du Preez, MD of Cape Town-based Anlin Shipping. The true facts, he asserts, are that the vessels will not be in evidence in Cape Town for two weeks because there is simply not enough cargo - besides it makes no sense sailing half-full ships which cost around US$18 000 a day to operate. “Everything is going in containers at the moment, therefore we don’t have cargo for our ships. “We have been off for two weeks and will be back in operation the second week of April.” Du Preez says the reefer market is “very hot” at present so if there are not enough fruit volumes to sustain the reefer ships in South Africa, their operators can make money elsewhere through charging high freight rates, South America for example. Coincidentally, Cape Reefers has taken two of four Snow vessels out of one of its programmes due to inadequate volumes. (They are currently in Chile, the other two in South Africa, of which one is already in Cape Town, only due to load on April 15.) The four Snow vessels normally sail empty to South America to load deciduous fruit, unload in Europe and then return to South Africa. “Deciduous volumes are very much down, due to climatic conditions. I would guess grapes are down by 20-25% alone,” says Du Preez. While apricot production has improved, plums are down 26%; indeed total stone fruit volumes have almost halved in two years.