‘Maputo citrus corridor offers big savings’

The goal of easing congestion at the Port of Durban by encouraging SA perishable shippers to use Maputo Port is in the hands of the citrus growers of Mpumalanga and Swaziland, the only sizeable fruit exporters whose proximity to Maputo and current use of Durban could make an impact if they were to alter their shipping routes. Drawbacks like Maputo port infrastructure, language challenges and ethical problems (read “a culture of bribery”) are reportedly improving. Shipping lines’ willingness to increase service has also been key. “We have listened to our citrus grower clients in Mpumalanga who are now able to move their cargo through the port of Maputo where we have a regular service,” Mike Economou, director of MSC Shipping told FTW. Producing 0.6m tons of export citrus last year or 63% of SA’s northern regions’ citrus production, the Maputo Corridor (comprising the areas of Malelane, Jeppes Reef, Karino, Nelspruit, Hazyview, Hoedspruit and Letsitele) could export 0.5m tons of citrus through Maputo annually to buyers in the Far East, Middle East, Europe, the UK, Russia and Mediterranean countries. No wonder MSC and other shipping lines have noticed this potential movement. Syd Munsamy, whose firm Sydtrans hauls perishable crops from farms to Durban and is located in that port city, is eyeing developments at the port to the north. “Limitations in the reefer capacity at Maputo is still a drawback. There is not adequate equipment for breakbulk,” he said. For savings to shippers, that shortage will have to be addressed. As indicated at a Maputo Port Development and Planning Workshop held in Nelspruit in April, growers are agitating for action. “All areas within a 200km (North Swaziland, Malelane, Karino and Nelspruit) radius of Maputo are guaranteed to achieve a better CIF deal to Europe breakbulk over loading containers through Durban,” one workshop report noted. Indeed, research presented at the workshop showed that “the Maputo Citrus Corridor could achieve an average of R3.00 a carton saving by transporting citrus to Maputo rather than Durban. The Maputo Citrus Corridor is transporting on average an extra 480km to Durban over Maputo. The northern region transports 14.75 million truck kilometres to Durban and only 0.5 million truck kilometres to Maputo. It has been determined that this would be costing the northern region’s growers R80m each year.” Before they commit to Maputo over Durban, shippers want more efficient and costeffective transport along the Maputo Corridor to the port, better customs document control (in particular the transhipped phyto through Mozambique) and a weekly breakbulk service to Europe and Russia as well as container lines on direct call to such key but currently not serviced citrus markets as the Middle East. Reefer technical backup is also required to prevent equipment breakdown.