South Africa's citrus export season commenced with the arrival of a notably long train at the Port of Durban's Container Terminal Pier 2, offloading 48 forty-foot containers of citrus fruits from Limpopo for export. The operation utilized rail-mounted gantry cranes to transfer the containers onto haulers, subsequently positioned in the reefer yard pending loading onto vessels.
This marks the official start of the citrus season in Durban, highlighting a shift from road to rail cargo movement to enhance logistics and terminal operations efficiency. Limpopo, as the leading contributor, accounts for over 40% of the nation's citrus production, with the Eastern Cape and Western Cape following. The industry anticipates a 15% increase in citrus exports this year. Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has allocated resources across three Durban terminals to support the season, emphasizing the importance of reliability and service efficiency. The commitment extends to Gqeberha's terminals, equipped with substantial plug points to facilitate operations. The Citrus Growers Association (CGA) acknowledges Transnet's proactive engagement and support for the citrus export sector.
Source: freightnews.co.za