Fruit South Africa calls on logistics and transport providers to help ensure industry survival

South African fruit growers at risk unless export supply chain services and costs improve, warns key industry body in run-up to Cool Logistics Africa conference

London, 29.03.2012 – Deflated returns on export fruit sales, escalating production costs, exorbitant logistics costs and inefficiency and ineffectiveness at port level are converging to threaten the future of South Africa’s fruit growing industry. This is the stark warning from Justin Chadwick, Chairman of Fruit South Africa (FSA), issued in the run-up to the inaugural Cool Logistics Africa conference in Cape Town this April.

In an open conference letter, FSA calls on the perishable logistics and transport sectors to rise to the current challenges in a “united and positive manner” alongside South Africa’s fruit growers and exporters, in order to “preserve this industry’s 100 year old heritage and safeguard it for the next generation.”

“The fruit export supply chain needs to work, and work efficiently and effectively, if this industry is to weather these hard times,” says Chadwick. “Everybody in the supply chain stands to lose if we don’t all focus on this issue collectively. If we don’t, then our principals – the growers – will be the first to lose and the 400,000 farm workers who support them will suffer the most. But it will eventually affect us all at some point in time if we don’t rise to the challenge.”

Continues Chadwick: “We understand the competitive nature of those in the export chain, but everyone shares the frustration about the current inefficiencies. We shouldn't shrug our shoulders and accept the fact that the losses from inefficiency will just get passed on over the farm gate. We are all indebted to this industry to ensure our growers remain sustainable and the farm workers and their families all prosper.”

FSA and its affiliated members Fresh Producer Exports Forum (FPEF), the Citrus Growers Association of South Africa (CGA), Hortgro Services (Hortgro), the Subtropical Growers Association (Subtrops) and the South African Table Grape Industry (SATGI) will use the upcoming conference to share their concerns and seek solutions with local and international transport and logistics providers, says Chadwick. “Taking place at a pinnacle phase for the Southern African fresh fruit export industry, with real supply chain challenges in our midst, this conference is an ideal platform to discuss and debate the issues at hand.”

From the hosts of the well-respected Cool Logistics Global event in Europe, now in its 4th year, Cool Logistics Africa 2012 runs from 24-26 April at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town. The event includes pre-conference site visit to two of South Africa’s leading pack houses, 2-day conference including networking reception hosted by Fruit South Africa, and optional 1-day post-conference operations and technology workshop.

www.coollogisticsafrica.com

To view the full letter from FSA, go to www.coollogisticsafrica.com/media_room

Information for the media: For more information on this release, to arrange press passes to attend a Cool Logistics conference, or to discuss a media partnership arrangement, please contact:

Holly Thompson, Communications & Research Assistant, Cool Logistics Resources Ltd | +44 20 8279 9403 | holly@coollogisticsconference.com

About Cool Logistics Resources

Cool Logistics Resources Ltd. provides high-quality business intelligence, relationship-building and networking for supply chain, logistics and transport professionals in the international perishables markets.

Staged for the fourth time in 2012, the annual Cool Logistics Global conference brings together logistics and transport professionals from around the world to assess key trends and best practice in end-to-end logistics for chilled and frozen goods, including market outlook, shipper needs, maritime and air transport, landside logistics, cold chain technology and more.

Launching in 2012, the Cool Logistics Africa conference assembles all of the key players to discuss how to deliver cold chain capacity, services and skills for Africa to compete fully on the world perishables stage, grow regional trade and ensure efficient distribution for vital food imports.

The two live events are supported year-round by the Cool Logistics discussion group on LinkedIn, social media and website activity, and the online Cool Logistics Community for conference participants.