The Logistics Hub session explored North Africa’s growing influence and focused on infrastructure, services and strategies for growth
The potential of fresh produce from North Africa was the theme of a Logistics Hub session that took place on the opening day of Fruit Logistica in Berlin.
The discussion centred around the region’s growing influence, eyeing the logistics infrastructure, services and strategies that will be needed to ensure North Africa can position itself as a key player in the market, particularly from the perspective of European ports.
Dirk Hoffmann, account director for reefer supply chain at DP World UK, outlined how his group solved such complex logistics solutions, with a focus on plans for Morocco.
“This is something that we’ve been working on for about a year,” he told delegates, referring to the Moroccan service. ”The intention was to have already launched a shipping operation at the start of 2024 but we’ve had some challenges in setting up the organisation in Morocco.
“But in our mind we will start our own shipping solution from October this year connecting Morocco to the UK and Belgium – the two markets that we want to focus on.”
Challenges that Moroccan suppliers faced included the cost of trucking fresh produce, unpredictable situations at border crossings or on the roads, and the volume of emissions generated by transporting produce large distances by road.
However, DP World’s solution would create a dedicated short-sea service, with a transit time of four to five days northbound from Agadir to London Gateway and Antwerp Gateway.
“We initially want to start off with a couple of ships, and then want to take it a bit further to create more flexibility,” Hoffmann explained. ”Initially it would be a weekly departure and then ultimately every second week.”
They would need high reefer capacity on the trade line, he said, given it would be driven by products such as tomatoes, citrus, blueberries and other fresh products.
Milena Slobko-Jerman of the Port of Koper also joined the session, and outlined the development of the Slovenian port, the short transit times to the Mediterranean and how it was well connected to North Africa.
”Goods from Egypt are increasing year-by-year,” she confirmed. ”We are handling over 10,000 reefers annually, and the season is getting longer.
“There are many reasons for this, including climate change, greater interest from the European market to import more from North Africa – especially Egypt – and an enlarged year-round product range.
“All of these factors are pushing the container lines to make more calls in the Adriatic, and it is not just the Port of Koper growing but other neighbouring ports as well,” Slobka-Jerman pointed out.
”In general, for the central-eastern European markets, like Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, their overseas trade is growing through the Adriatic.”
