Port Tampa Bay is looking to attract fresh produce suppliers from Latin America as part of its strategy to expand and diversify the cargo its handles.
Up until the 1990s, the Florida port handled fruit arriving from all over the world and was famed for its iconic banana docks. But the business gradually died away and the last fruit importer left in 2009. Today it is used primarily to transport bulk cargo such as phosphates, limestone and petroleum but is now keen to handle more profitable cargoes including pineapples.
Raul Alfonso, chief commercial officer of Port Tampa Bay said the port’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and extensive rail links meant consignments could reach markets in the Midwest significantly faster than if they were shipped through other ports on the eastern seaboard such as Philadelphia.
“That’s the key,” he said. “If we’re able to reduce shelf time on transit, that means money.”
The port is in the process of building a US$18m coldstorage facility to service a high-speed food cargo train. Work on the project is due to be completed in 2015.
Last week the port hosted the second Global Pineapple Conference organised by the International Pineapple Organisation. The event brought together producers, exporters, importers, distributors and transport and logistics providers to discuss core issues affecting the industry, such as supply and demand trends, technology and sustainability.
