MAPUTO’S ‘RENAISSANCE’ PROGRAMME BEARS FRUIT

10 October 2002

More South African citrus is moving through Mozambique’s major port of Maputo as new working arrangements and a multi-million dollar ‘renaissance’ programme implemented by its new operators begin to bear fruit.

Evidence of Maputo’s success in securing a larger share of SA citrus exports includes the simultaneous berthing of three reefer vessels for the first time in many years and the simultaneous loading of South African citrus into two ships for the first time in 20 years.

MV Linares alongside at Port Maputo

Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) was awarded the concession to run the Indian Ocean gateway 18 months ago. With Maputo the ‘doorstep’ port, closest to South Africa’s largest citrus growing regions, the Company identified enhancement of the Fruit Terminal as a key element of its overall trade development strategy.

Co-ordinating planning and investment with Fresh Produce Terminals (FPT), part of SA’s largest fruit exporter Capespan, which has a long lease on Maputo’s Fruit Terminal, the port has halted the long term decline of what it regards as a natural trade for Maputo.

Said Paulo Franco, FPT’s Terminal Director: ‘When the final tally is in for this year’s South African citrus trade we expect it to total approximately 90,000 pallets. That’s a significant increase and marks an important turn-around which has been achieved by an initiative involving the close co-operation of our Company and MPDC and the vital support of the region’s growers.’

The three ships which made the ‘milestone’ line up at Maputo, were all operated by Seatrade Reefers and loaded 9,000 Europe bound pallets of citrus in four days. They included the charter vessel MV Linares, the largest reefer to use the port for many years.

Seatrade’s ‘Nova Fresia’, ‘Pacific Mermaid’ and ‘Linares’ alongside Maputo Citrus Terminal

South Africa’s largest citrus growing areas lie within 450kms of Maputo and much of the growing area is only 250kms away, giving the Mozambique port a major logistics advantage over the more distant export terminals in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

Direct road and rail access to the Fruit Terminal has now been completely renewed and wharves have been upgraded, enabling faster and more efficient loading of ships with less damage to pallets’, said Dick Moore, MPDC’s Commercial Director.

‘FPT and ourselves are now studying the feasibility of Phase 2 of the re-development strategy involving extensive modernisation and enlargement of the Fruit Terminal.’

In targeting the citrus trade, MPDC and FPT scrapped the Fruit Terminal’s outdated quayside cranes, opting for the faster and more efficient use of ships’ cranes. Increased productivity was also achieved by resurfacing 300 metres of quayside apron, enabling faster, cargo-safe movement by a new fleet of fork lift trucks purchased earlier in the year by FPT. The Terminal has also benefited from modernisation of its cooling system and upgrading of the port’s security systems encompassing all cargo facilities.

Said Alec Don, MPDC’s Chief Executive: ‘The 2004 citrus season has proved to be a seminal period in setting Maputo back on the road to re-establishing its natural role as a significant export gateway for South African fruit. It is a pointer to the exciting future that lies ahead for Maputo as the commitment of MPDC and partners such as FPT, backed by the evident enthusiasm of the regional growers, optimises the port’s historic advantages of geography and economics.’

Port Maputo has been fully ISPS compliant since June 2004.

For more information contact:

Sonia Mota, MPDC Tel: +258 1 31 39 20
E-mail: info@portmaputo.com
Paulo Franco, FPT Tel:+258 1 42 66 50
Eric Leatherbarrow, Mersey Docks Tel: +44 (0)151 949 6374
E-mail: eric.leatherbarrow@merseydocks.co.uk