Get It Fresh

Once upon a time people ate what was grown locally, in season. Those days are long behind us. Globalisation has created a world in which, when it comes to fresh produce, seasons and borders seemingly don’t exist – except, perhaps, in the price tag.

It remains to be seen what sort of a long-term impact the recent COVID-19 pandemic will have on consumer behaviour, but a report by global market research firm Technavio estimated the fresh produce market would grow by 358 million tonnes from 2018 – 2020. The global fruit and vegetable market alone is worth somewhere north of R5-trillion.

Getting these products from one place to another adds a delicate, complicated step into the logistics mix: keeping it fresh. “The logistics chain includes many steps such as trucking from the production site to the airport facilities, handling and storage ahead of the flight, loading onto the aircraft, the flight itself, and then offloading and trucking to the final destination,” says Stavros Evangelakakis, global product manager for cargo airline Cargolux. “Throughout this journey, all players must ensure temperature-controlled environments are available to maintain the produce at its freshest.

“Different products require different temperature ranges,” continues Evangelakakis. “Certain commodities are transported fresh in a temperature-controlled environment, whereas others are frozen and are packed in special packaging provided by the shipper.”

To address these challenges, he says Cargolux’s Boeing 747 freighters are fitted with different temperature-controlled zones to ensure products can be transported at the optimal temperature. “Each product is packed separately, and goods are segregated to ensure safe transport. The temperature range is scrupulously defined ahead of the flight to ensure perishables remain in perfect condition throughout the transport process.”

Ripe for business

South Africa’s fresh fruit export business is worth around R50-billion. Last year we exported 2.9 million tonnes, representing roughly 35 per cent of all agricultural exports. Maintaining the cold chain is thus of crucial importance, says Anton Kruger, CEO of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum (FPEF), who says South Africa benefits from strong collaboration between all stakeholders in this regard.

“It’s a joint effort between the producer; the exporter; the logistics service provider; government; the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform & Rural Development (DALRRD); and the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB).” The PPECB represents a big advantage for South Africa, says Kruger. “Not all countries have such an institution, with the specific role of looking after the cold chain.”

The PPECB inspects produce before it is cleared for export, then the temperature of the transporting vessel is monitored by satellite and probes in the containers, with the captain required to submit a daily report to the PPECB. When the product reaches its intended destination, however, risk transfers to the importer. “Obviously, we don’t want to have poor-quality South African food on the shelves,” says Kruger. “It all comes down to relationships. In most cases, people communicate well, and you can also have quality checks in the importing country.”

Fresh innovations

The average time from harvest to end consumer for locally grown fruit is 40 days, explains Kruger. “A lot of research has been, and continues to be, conducted to see if this time can be shortened, or if you’re stuck with that time frame to then ensure that you have optimal conditions.”

To this end, in 2014 the PPECB rolled out Project Titan, replacing pen-and-paper certification with a digital system. “This allows inspectors at the packhouses to capture information electronically,” says Kruger. “This saves a lot of time. DALRRD also recently introduced e-certification, which goes hand-in-hand with Project Titan.”

The Post-Harvest Innovation Programme, a public-private partnership between the FPEF and the Department of Science and Innovation, has also engaged in research projects around integrated packing solutions and cold-storage technology.