Quality starts at point of source, writes Ray Smuts
THE MESSAGE from the experts was crystal clear: Nothing can be more beneficial than thorough planning in the quest for successful fruit exporting.
This was emphasised at a practical workshop sponsored by Cambridge Reefer Technologies in conjunction with GoReefers and attended by more than 35 fruit exporters and reefer service providers outside Cape Town recently.
Cambridge Reefer Technologies has been operating for many years in the refrigeration and particularly the reefer shipping industry, supporting developments with research and technical back-up while GoReefers, established in Southern Africa nine months ago, offers negotiation and logistics services to a selected group of fruit exporters.
The assembly heard from Dr Malcolm Dodd, Controlled Atmosphere expert and outgoing m.d. of TransFresh, that the benefit of lower freight rates could accrue provided a number of issues were addressed and improved, the most important being forecasting, planning and turn around time of vessels.
While CA was able to maintain fruit in sound condition and taste for much longer periods, it could not improve poor quality fruit. "Quality starts at point of source."
Speaking on the role of conventional shipping in the fruit trade, Peter Palmgren, director of GoReefers International, said the only way to maintain low rates would be to ensure that returns to the ship owner are at acceptable levels.
"This can be done if the logistical chain is working well resulting in improved planning, vessels remaining in port for shorter periods and good utilisation of vessel capacity."
Dr Henriette van Niekerk, a lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch, said there was still a lot of ignorance in the industry that needed
to be addressed. Often, apples were not compared with apples when freight rates and other costs were compared by exporters in making crucial decisions.
Maersk's Dirk Hoffmann said containers had made inroads into the traditional marketshare of conventional vessels but its present share was still below 40%.
Delena Engelbrecht, m.d. of GoReefers Southern Africa, said the need for transferring knowledge and experience was an aspect often neglected to the detriment of the country's fruit industry.
