Hans-Willem van der Waal, managing director of Netherlands-based Agrofair, the producer-owned fruit company that launched the first ever Fairtrade banana, has signed up as a speaker for Cool Logistics Africa on 24-26 April, to be held in Cape Town.
Van der Waal will appear in a session on West Africa and is well positioned to discuss the major logistical hurdles faced by West African exporters.
West Africa has a huge potential for fruit and vegetable production, he said, but the development of reliable and cost-effective cold chains is now imperative.
Logistical issues for East Africa will also be discussed at the conference by producers and service providers, including Sunripe, FloraHolland, Kenfreight and Gateway Marine Services.
In East Africa, Kenya exports more than 100,000 tonnes of cut flowers a year, the majority by air, but it is thought that a large share of flowers, and vegetables including beans, could be shipped in the future by sea.
Christo van der Meer, supply chain consultant for FloraHolland, will attempt to demonstrate that controlled-atmosphere technology can be used to ship cut flowers in 40ft reefer containers.
“Two of the biggest problems for both West and East Africa are the unwillingness of shipping lines to release reefer containers inland on the one hand, and port congestion and disruption on the other,” said Rachael White, co-director, Cool Logistics Resources. “At this year’s conference, we’ll be talking about how, if and when these problems can be overcome.”
