Two months after shipment of butter from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, to Turkey, global integrator of container logistics Maersk completed its first successful shipment of mangoes from Nhava Sheva in Mumbai to Felixstowe, London on last Tuesday, says an article published in the Hindus Business Line.
New Ways of Shipping Perishable Goods
Bombay Exports shipped 21 tonnes of Kesar and Badami mangoes through Maersk’s reefer containers, which use the advanced Remote Container Management (RCM) technology.
RCM leverages cold-chain technology to provide full visibility into the conditions of the refrigerated cargo during transit.
The Controlled Atmosphere (CA) container helps extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables by slowing down the ripening process.
With this offering, Maersk has opened new possibilities in shipping perishable goods which otherwise requires faster, yet more expensive, air freight solutions.
Relief from Air Freight Costs
Commenting on this achievement, Steve Felder, MD, Maersk (South Asia), said: “Due to difficulties in air freight, close to 200 tonnes of fruits and other perishables are impacted every week, leading to a huge loss of the produce. That’s not all. There is a huge demand for mangoes in the European market and prices are lucrative. We helped the exporter leverage our technology.”
“Through this shipment, we were also able to strengthen our relationship with government bodies such as the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which would help open doors for trade of premium commodities. Maersk is committed to enabling trade in the reefer segment,” he added.
According to Felder, air freight costs have increased 25-30 percent since April owing to stagnation of cargo flights.
Anand Shejwal and Pritesh Shejwal, MDs of Bombay Exports, said that with Maersk’s RCM and CA offerings, the company was able to execute the shipment as they provided complete visibility throughout transit.
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Source: Hindu Business Line
