According to a spokesperson for the newly established Maputo Port Fruit Terminal (MPFT), a new citrus terminal is under way with plans to have the first vessel leaving the port in two weeks’ time. The new facility will service fruit exporters from southern Africa. Development plans include cold storage facilities by 2023. The first vessel leaving Maputo with citrus is scheduled for 1 April, with target markets mainly in South East Asia and the Middle East, and “maybe Russia”.
MPFT says Maputo “is the logical choice as [an] export channel” and will alleviate congestion in Durban, South Africa, with volumes increasing every year.
Citrus is not a new commodity to the Maputo port, having been exported from a citrus terminal until 2013, with South African citrus growers sending up to 120 000 pallets per year through Maputo. Last week, the Port of Maputo, managed by the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), was given the green light for an expansion on 8 March.
The new concession will see 138 hectares added to the existing 140 hectares of infrastructure, after years of increased investment and activity in the facility.
Source: foodforafrika.com