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The volume of fresh produce from Tanzania and Uganda exported using reefers through the port of Mombasa, Kenya has increased to six percent, compared to last year. The Mombasa port recorded 6,813 20-foot equivalent units (Teus), helped by the installation of 1,367 reefer plugging points in its port facilities since last year. Reefers are refrigerated containers.
The USD 380 million Business Environment and Export Enhancement Programme, implemented by TradeMark Africa to push for radical decarbonisation of value chains that deliver fresh produce is yielding fruit, with more traders preferring sea to air in transporting fresh produce. Currently, perishable goods approvals through the Mombasa port are done at the loading point, and the KenTrade-operated National Electronic Single Window System grants permit approvals.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has installed 1,367 reefer plugging points: 795 at the Mombasa port, 336 at the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Nairobi, 216 at the Lamu port and 20 at the Naivasha ICD. Kenya started transporting horticultural produce by sea in a move that would reduce the carbon footprint and improve earnings. This is after Kenya signed a pact with the European Union, one of its major export destinations, agreeing to transport fresh produce via sea after Mombasa port complied with requirements last year, stated Capt. Ruto, Managing Director KPA. The goal is to enhance the competitiveness and share of exports of Kenyan avocado, mangoes, and vegetables to Europe and other international markets, by focusing on resolving production, storage, logistics, and value-addition challenges that the sector faces.
Fresh produce exporters said the cost of transportation would now go down after Mombasa port established power points to maintain refrigerated facilities along the supply chain from Naivasha to Mombasa. The advantage of using the sea as a mode of transport is that traders will benefit from economies of scale, thus lowering the cost of transporting fresh produce by sea, compared to air, which has been expensive for traders.
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The introduction of special refrigerated containers and plugging points at port facilities has turned out to be a game changer. The cost has significantly gone down. The global cold chain logistics market was estimated to be USD 182.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 343.75 billion by 2027, growing at a compounded rate of 13.5 per cent.
Introduction of refrigerated containers, port users from East Africa have taken advantage of Mombasa port which installed more than 1,300 plugging points catering to the demand.
