Reefer supply remains under pressure

The supply of refrigerated
containers remains under
considerable pressure in
SA, but the popularity of
reefers as an alternative
to cold storage rooms
continues to grow. Of real
concern is the growing
shortage of 20-foot
containers which continue
to be more difficult to
source than 40-footers.
“The local and
overborder markets we
supply have continued to
show good growth, which
in turn leads to good
demand by perishable
handlers for cold transport
and on-the-ground static
cold storage. One of the
challenges to that growth
remains a ready supply of
good reefers. Container
supply has been slow to
rebound after emerging
from the 2008-09 economic
slump and the trend looks
set to continue in the short
term as the level of orders
for new reefers struggles to
make up for the two years’
worth of lost production,”
said Warren Jacobs of
Almar Container Group.
For Almar’s clients,
“specialist refrigeration
expertise” has proved
important.
“We have established a
good working relationship
with a reliable network of
specialist reefer technicians
to prepare and maintain
our reefer fleet. This strong
network of technical experts
is a critical component for a
successful reefer container
supplier,” said Jacobs.
The mobility of reefers
is one factor in their usage
as alternative cold storage
rooms.
“The containers have
proved to be a versatile
and reliable refrigeration
system. Reefers continue
to be given preference over
the costly construction of
immobile cold rooms – and
with a temperature range of
minus 25 to plus 18 the list
of possible applications is
vast,” said Jacobs.
The outlook for the
shipment and storage
of perishables this year
and beyond suggests a
continuing upward demand
for reefers.
“Going forward the
market looks set to provide
some good opportunities for
the sale and lease of reefer
containers while the supply
side is expected to improve
into 2012,” said Jacobs.