Two-a-Day managing director Attie van Zyl tells provincial agriculture minister Ivan Meyer more must be done to address situation.
Problems at the Port of Cape Town cost South Africa’s apple and pear industry just under R1bn (€52mn) a year, according to one of the country’s leading suppliers.
During a recent visit by Western Cape agriculture minister Ivan Meyer, the managing director of Grabouw-based grower-packer Two-a-Day, Attie van Zyl, said the estimated annual impact of inefficiencies at the port amounted to R999mn.
“Our apple and pear growers are directly impacted,” Van Zyl commented. “The total estimated cost of a dysfunctional port per hectare for our farmers is R26 000 per hectare.”
Following his visit, Meyer issued a statement in which he underlined the seriousness of the situation. “While we recognise that the Port of Cape Town management is implementing a terminal turn-around strategy and welcome the acquisition of new infrastructure, the worryingly slow pace at which it is happening remains a deep concern and has direct cost implications for the agricultural sector in the Western Cape,” he said.
Provincial premier Alan Winde described the figure as “deeply worrying” and suggested it did not show the full extent of lost potential growth in new markets. “We are not seen as a reliable supplier to the international market because we cannot guarantee delivery,” he observed.
Glen Steyn, project manager for logistics development at the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, said the department had worked closely with the management team of port operator Transnet.
“We appreciate our constructive engagement with Transnet Ports Authority,” he said. “Our conversations include the impact of logistics on the national and provincial economies. A digital logistics planning platform is being developed with Transnet and other agencies in the container logistics chain that should assist in reducing bottlenecks and their disruptive effect on cargo movement.”
Minister Meyer added that a growth plan for the Western Cape aimed to triple the value of its exports to R450bn (€23.6bn) by 2035.
“To achieve this, we need an efficient port. Productivity at the PoCT must significantly improve in the lead-up to the upcoming fruit export season if we are to achieve this goal.”
