Stevedore Southampton Cargo Handling (SCH) has been buoyed by the news that they have won the contract to handle the latest shipment of potatoes imported from Cyprus into the port of Southampton.
The new trade is set to consist of at least three ships this summer with the potential that the traffic could become a regular feature of port activity, utilising facilities that are normally used for discharging produce from the Canary Islands during the winter.
The vegetables will be distributed throughout the UK from the purpose-designed fresh produce cold store in the port's Western Docks.
The importers, Cyprus Potato Marketing Board, have in the past used other ports in the South East, but a combination of costs and facilities helped SCH, which handles over 150,000 tonnes of fresh produce a year, gain the contract.
Director Richard Dufty commented: 'We have been interested in this traffic for some time and the season from May to July would fit ideally with the closed season in Canary Islands shipments. This is a welcome addition to the fresh produce traffic handled by the port and SCH.'
