PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Mr JJ Bouwer
CONTACT DETAILS: +27 82 887 8425 /bouweb@orangenet.co.za
LEAD INSTITUTION: Koos Bouwer Consulting
BENEFICIARY: Pome and Stone Fruit
Driving forces are lower logistics cost while optimizing the cold chain and sustaining the quality of product in refrigerated containers. Direct cost benefits will be obtained by shipping 2.5% more fruit at the same container freight cost by improved space utilization. The cost of freight to the EU is US$ 5,870.00 (ZAR 61,928.50). This is roughly a 2.5% cost saving or R1 548.21 per container shipment. Considering there are 90,000 container shipments of fresh produce out of South Africa a year and one took a conservative estimate of being able to assist just the stone fruit and grape industries which amount to +/- 20,000 units per annum, this could result in a saving of R30m per annum on freight rates.
The development of improved packaging and thereby optimized refrigeration effects will lead to further price benefits due to improved product quality. This would aid in providing good shelf life and aiding in the reinforcement of the image of “Brand South Africa”.
Although not a direct benefit for the grower, the optimization of container utilization will also lead to more energy efficient exports and a reduction of the carbon footprint of exported fruit.
This project will also integrate various ideas and outputs from other PHI-funded projects to develop solution implementation so that industry can benefit in a practical and commercial way from all the good innovative R&D work being done before.
Output 1: Definition of an optimized refrigerated container solution.
(This document will be an input for this project but also a good reference baseline for future projects of this nature)
Output 2: Research and determine constraints for implementation.(This output document will be used for this project and will also be a good reference baseline for future projects of this nature)
Output 3: Industrialization process development for solution implementation.
(This output document will also be a good reference baseline for future projects of this nature)
Output 4: Action plan for solution implementation.
(This output document will indicate immediate implementation steps and will also act as a guideline to streamline future industrialization processes)
