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Savannah's Peruvian fruit imports boost USDA plan for reefer prowess

THE first containers of imported produce to undergo cold-treatment have arrived at Savannah, carrying tangelos from Peru under a US Agriculture Department programme that saves money, says the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA).

"By moving perishables through Savannah, you reach customers faster, save on transit costs, and take advantage of on-site inspection and the most comprehensive refrigerated infrastructure," said GPA executive director Curtis Foltz.

Matt Jardina, of the Atlanta-based company receiving the tangelos, JJ Jardina, stressed the savings in time and freight costs.

"It makes a lot of sense to use Savannah. It was nice to have only a four-hour truck ride to Atlanta versus a day and half from the Philadelphia," said Mr Jardina, a wholesale produce distributor.

"It allowed us to get the product in our warehouse more quickly and begin selling the product a few days earlier."

The tangelos, moved from Andean Sun Produce farms in Ica, Peru, are part of a USDA pilot programme, in which citrus, grapes and blueberries are chilled for at least 17 days prior to entry into the US to protect against fruit flies.

Removing potential pests via cold treatment reduces the need for pesticides. The process may be done in producing countries - including Peru, Chile and Brazil - or at transshipment points such as Panama.

The fruit will move in reefer boxes held just over freezing during transit aboard cargo vessels, effectively cutting the time fruit must remain stationary for treatment.

"The importation of citrus products after successful cold-treatment while enroute from South America highlights US Customs commitment to working with federal, state, and trade stakeholders," said local US Customs chief Lisa Beth Brown.

"These combined efforts resulted in successful innovation and trade facilitation without compromise to our mission to protect domestic agriculture from potential introduction of harmful pests and disease," she said.

Nelly Yunta, vice president of Customised Brokers, which brought the cargo to Savannah, said the choice to use GPA came down to market proximity and customer service.

Savannah's Garden City Terminal offers 84 refrigerated container racks and 733 chassis plug-ins, powering 2,749 refrigerated boxes at a time. Another 20 racks should be complete by the end of the year, adding 480 reefer box slots.