New citrus player enters Durban logistics scene

In the Durban citrus fruit export market there’s a new kid on the block, as Jongosi Freight steps into the trade with strong expectations. According to MD Chris Wedderburn, this major expansion path in the citrus logistics market stems from the acquisition of 75% of Jongosi’s shares by the R1-billion-a-year Farmsecure Fruit Growers group. “On the farm side of its business Farmsecure has large areas of citrus-growing farms in the Nkwaleni Valley in KwaZulu Natal and in the northern regions of the Mpumalanga lowveld,” he told FTW. “The group also has a farm-to-shelf concept in its citrus export trade, and uses subsidiary companies as its links in this supply chain. We are now obviously the logistics link, supplying services in forwarding, processing of all documentation (which is very specific for each destination country) and transport.” In the forthcoming citrus season, from April to late September, Jongosi expects to ship 2 000 x 40-foot containers – a total of 4-million cartons, or 50 000 tonnes of citrus fruit exports. In his medium-term five-year plan, Wedderburn envisages doubling the company’s citrus export activities to 8-m cartons (100 000t) by the end of the 2016 season. “In this period,” he added, “we also plan to facilitate the export of citrus out of the Port of Maputo in Mozambique.” The company’s destinations for these exports are Europe, South East Asia and the Far East. Jongosi Freight is also on the expansion path for its premises in Durban, with current construction including the multi-million rand development of expansive new warehousing facilities and further office accommodation