Fruits to be exported in ‘break bulk’ through the Port of Natal

Agrícola Famosa, the main fruit exporter in Rio Grande Norte, announced that it will continue sending its products abroad through the Port of Natal. According to Carlo Porro, CEO of the company, the expectation for the next harvest is to produce 10 thousand pallets per week. A third of this volume (3 thousand pallets) will be shipped weekly through the maritime terminal in the state’s capital city. The new operation, starting in August, will be done by the company Grean Sea.

With these changes, the fruits will be shipped on pallets and no longer in containers, as was the case until the last harvest. The pallet is a platform, usually made of wood, plastic, or metal, used to stack or transport materials. “The difference now is that the fruit will no longer be transported in metallic containers. They will go on pallets inside ships equipped with refrigerated storage technology. It’s a faster service that gets the products to the customers without interrupting the logistics and supply chain,” explains Carlo Porro of Agrícola.

In 2022, the company changed its own logistics and started exporting 30% to 35% of its melon and watermelon production to Europe in this new model, which included the adoption of the ‘break bulk’ format. The change, however, was applied only for the outflow made by the Port of Mucuripe in Fortaleza (CE). “This year, we are bringing this ship to Natal,” reports Porro. The breakbulk modality allows the cargo to be transported in a fractioned manner, differently from containerized goods, where the products are stacked.

“In the current post-covid phase, due to all the logistical chaos, the use of break bulk returns with great force after 30 years. In this modality, the fruit arrives with better quality. So, I have no doubt that thanks to this, we will sell more and improve our quality, increase employment and business,” says the CEO of Agrícola.

In the last harvest, which ended last April, Agrícola Famosa exported 9 thousand containers, equivalent to 120 thousand tons of fruit. About 2 thousand tons per week were exported through the Port of Natal with the CMA operation. For the new harvest, the expectation is to at least maintain the general numbers. “The production should be equal or 10% higher than the last harvest,” predicts the CEO. With the new format, the weekly shipment through the Port – which will increase to 3 thousand tons – will represent an increase of 50%.

The chart below shows the record of monthly exports of fruits (hs 0800-0812) registered at the Port of Natal from Jan 2019 and Mar 2023, measured in TEUs, according to DataLiner.

Fruit exports through the Natal Port | Jan 2019 – Mar 2023 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Europe will continue to be the main export destination, with countries like Spain, Holland, and England standing out. According to Agrícola’s CEO, “The intention is to bring more ships here and serve other producers. We want to turn Natal into a fruit port,” he says.

The permanence of Agrícola Famosa in the maritime terminal of the capital serves to mitigate the impacts of the exit of CMA CGA from the maritime terminal. In an interview with TRIBUNA DO NORTE in March this year, the president of the Executive Committee of Fruit Culture of Rio Grande do Norte (Coex), Fábio Queiroga, estimated that more than 20 thousand tons of fruit would not be exported in the next harvest.

The announcement of the continuity in the Port of Natal was made this Tuesday (9) to the State Government of Rio Grande do Norte.

Source: Tribuna do Norte

To read the original story, go to: http://www.tribunadonorte.com.br/noticia/grean-sea-atuara-como-novo-operador-da-agra-cola-famosa-pelo-porto-de-natal/563549

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