ZIM has experienced a remarkable growth in volumes, with a 20% increase over the past two years. However, the current season has encountered an unexpected setback due to unfavorable weather conditions in the northern regions.
These climatic challenges have had a significant impact on the size and color of the fruit. This is of particular concern to its major export market, China, known for its meticulous fruit standards, allowing no room for fruit that is too large or too small or that doesn't meet their desired color criteria.
Despite these challenges, South African citrus continues to be in high demand globally as the recent growth in exports speaks volumes about the consistent quality of the local fruit.
As we anticipate the next citrus season in South Africa, there's a lot to look forward to in terms of the fruit before making its way to international markets. Starting with the early lemons, which are set to make their debut in February-March of the coming year. This season will offer an overlap between lemons and grapefruit, providing a diverse range of citrus options.
Once the transition between lemons and grapefruit slows down, we'll enter a brief plateau period before the various orange cultivars come into play.
Meeting global standards with Cold Treatment
A crucial aspect to consider when shipping citrus is compliance with import regulations in key destinations like China, India, Vietnam, and Taiwan. These countries require the use of Cold Treatment for citrus imports, ensuring that the fruit reaches their markets in optimal condition.
By using unique auto-control capabilities available inside the reefer, temperature deviations can always be tracked and modified, from any location, which allows the fruit fly infestation to be dealt with while the goods are in transit, even before they arrive at their destination.
When it comes to exporting citrus, and other fruits from South Africa, there's a Cold Treatment protocol in place to guarantee the fruit's quality and safety. China, for example, involves subjecting the fruit to specific temperature conditions for 24 consecutive days.
As part of our commitment to transparency and efficiency, the ZIMonitor system featured in our refrigerated fleet allows customers to access and download DCX reports that provide a detailed overview of the cargo’s condition inside the container over a specific period. This feature enables both the customer and the relevant authorities at the destination to verify the successful completion of the Cold Treatment process, long before the arrival of the cargo – saving valuable time and any unnecessary complications.
Ensuring year-round success for your exports, all season long
Operating as an all-encompassing reefer export market, South Africa ensures a consistent supply of year-round products from its two major export hubs. In Cape Town, operation is geared towards exporting apples and pears throughout the entire year, along with citrus exports when in season. Additionally, Cape Town stands out with its 13–14 week window dedicated to exporting grapes, which spans from early January to the end of March.
A couple thousand miles away in Durban lies a seasonal citrus export hub. To adapt to this seasonal variation, ZIM operates two distinct services from South Africa:
- The first caters to seasonal citrus exports with the SA1 service, calling Durban, then heading directly to Southeast Asia.
- The second service is tailored for year-round exports originating from Capetown, the SA2 service. This service includes a call in Durban, and an additional call in Cape Town before heading to destinations in Asia.
Considering the amounts of exports out of both locations, a dedicated reefer team was established to meet all customer requirements 24/7. Gary Eager, South Africa Branch Manager shares, “Our commitment to ensuring a seamless supply chain has led us to work hand in hand with various departments as well as leverage the valuable insights from our loyal customers. Together with the logistics department and along with the short, medium, and long-term forecasts from our loyal customers, we managed to hatch a positioning plan to ensure we always have sufficient quality reefer equipment for our customers.”
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