Maersk unlocks agro export potential in India with cold chain solution
Maersk, the leading global integrated logistics company, recently successfully delivered its first end-to-end shipment of freshly produced ‘Green Chillies’ from Varanasi to Jebel Ali
Maersk, the leading global integrated logistics company, recently successfully delivered its first end-to-end shipment of freshly produced ‘Green Chillies’ from Varanasi to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE) within a duration of 9 days.
The company worked closely with Agricultural and Processed Food Exports Development Authority (APEDA), the apex organization under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, responsible for the export promotion of agricultural products, to enable trade opportunities in the state via land & sea routes. The delivery is a testament to Maersk’s efforts to unlock the agro-trade potential in Uttar Pradesh and expanding across the country by leveraging end-to-end cold-chain logistics solutions.
The eastern part of Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi region) comprising of 5 districts – Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur & Sant Ravidas Nagar which are some of the top producers of fresh fruits & vegetables, such as green chillies, okra, bitter gourd, green peas, brinjal, mango, guava etc. present an immense opportunity for the farmers and entrepreneurs in and around the region to boost its agro-exports. Considering these enormous trade prospects offered by the region, APEDA is in the process of setting up Agri-export hubs in these districts along with soon-to-be set up project office to fast-track the co-ordination & facilitation of all activities.
Steve Felder, Managing Director, Maersk South Asia, said “The economy of Uttar Pradesh is predominantly agrarian and performance of agriculture and allied activities such as horticulture, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries are critical in determining the growth rate of the state. Additionally, due to its favourable climatic and geographical conditions, the agricultural produce from the state especially Varanasi region enjoys a preferred demand in the global market which is the reason the government has plans to make it an export trade hub. Our initiative to take local produce to global market is in-line with our aim to be a global integrator of container logistics connecting and simplifying trade for the farmers & entrepreneurs across the region.”
The shipment was loaded at the facility under the supervision of the company’s Reefer expert and flagged-off by the chief guest, Mr. Paban Kumar Borthakur, Chairman, APEDA. Throughout the journey from Varanasi to Jebel Ali, leveraging the Remote Container Management (RCM) technology, the temperature of the cargo was accurately maintained at the temperature recommended by the Reefer expert with proper tracking of the container movement and spot-on co-ordination with various stakeholders involved in the project. Sensing the tight schedule of the shipment cycle due to short shelf-life of fresh produce & non-availability of export-quality packing material at Varanasi, Maersk ensured the deployment of an additional driver for inland transportation.
By delivering on ensuring that the chillies reached its destination in top quality, by ensuring on-time delivery and by taking responsibility of various phases of the logistics, Maersk went all the way in making sure its customers were satisfied by the offering from the company.
Future Opportunities in the region
APEDA also organised an export promotion programme & Buyer-Seller Meet (BSM) attended by more than 100 farmers from Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad & Uttar Pradesh during the first half of 2019, to provide a platform to link farmers to exporters. The platform provided a chance to the exporters to understand the potential of the region, quality of vegetables & fruits produced so that they could facilitate the right infrastructure. Furthermore, the government also facilitated Vegetables And Fruits Exporters Association (VAFA), Mumbai to sign an MOU with four Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) for sourcing of fresh vegetables & fruits for exports to international markets. The produce of the first trial shipment consolidated from the FPOs has been processed & packed at CONCOR Cargo Facility, Rajatalab, Varanasi which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2018.
As the future enquiries are in pipeline with an additional route (rail) option, the target commodity is wide-ranging (green chilies, okra, bitter gourd, green peas, brinjal, mango, guava etc.) with focused efforts from the company and government to ensure this to be a year-round movement. The company is in touch with the relevant government stakeholders to help realize the true export potential of the region.
Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
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Aiming to further enhance service quality and gain a stronger foothold in the Indian sub-continent, Wan Hai Lines has established its India new office in Kolkata in July 2023. Contact details for the new office are as follows: WAN HAI LINES (INDIA) PVT. LTD 3rd Floor, Block C, Apeejay House, 15 Park Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700016 TEL: 91-33-4450 4500 According to the 2023 Foreign Trade Policy announced by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s export trade volume will reach 2 trillion US dollars in 2030.
Therefore, benefiting from government policy incentives and the shifting trend of the global supply chain, India’s status in global manufacturing and international trade is increasing, which is conducive to maintaining long-term high economic growth. And the proportion of global exports has increased significantly. In addition, the continuous economic stimulus policy will help revitalize the domestic economy, and domestic demand is expected to increase significantly. Therefore, Wan Hai is optimistic about India’s future import and export situation. And also through the establishment of a new office to improve the overall operating efficiency.
Wan Hai India Kolkata office held a grand opening reception in the evening of 27th July. During the banquet, there were many important customers & guests. The Kolkata Port Authority, Kolkata terminal operators, feeder operators and important local customers were invited to send representatives to attend the meeting to express their blessings to Wan Hai’s opening of the Kolkata market. At present, Wan Hai has six owned offices in India, namely Mumbai, Chennai, Mundra, and Vizag, Delhi and the sixth office Kolkata office. In addition to directly providing river port services, it will also simultaneously strengthen service links between India and neighboring countries, such as Nepal and Bhutan. It is expected to pursue customer first through continuous expansion in the future and sustainable business philosophy.
World's Largest Container Ship, MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI. Image: MSC
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More than 800 guests gathered in a custom-made tent at the MSC Gate Terminal in Bremerhaven to witness the naming ceremony of the latest edition to Mediterranean Shipping Company’s fleet, MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI, with the ship as the backdrop. Prior to the naming ceremony, MSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg and their ports, agreeing on the use of shore power for MSC’s vessels in both ports.
MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI is one of the world’s largest and most fuel-efficient container ships by design. At 400 metres in length and with a 61.5 metre beam, it has a capacity of up to 24,346 TEUs. Despite her magnificent size, her design and technical specifications enable the shipment of more cargo at the lowest carbon footprint per container carried.
The vessel employs a small bulbous bow, large diameter propellers and energy-saving ducts, which will help to further reduce fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI and her sister ships are also built with an air lubrication system to reduce drag on the hull, as well as shaft generators to yield additional power.
In his welcome speech, MSC CEO Soren Toft highlighted the importance of Bremerhaven to MSC as a European cargo hub: “The ports in Bremen are such an important cargo hub for us in Germany and in Northwest Europe. It is truly a strategic location for MSC, and home to over 370 of our colleagues. However, our connection with Germany goes deeper than trade. This is the third naming ceremony of an MSC vessel since 2015, and the second in Bremerhaven. It is therefore by no surprise that we continue to grow with our customers in Germany.”
Soren continued: “Efficiency and innovation are two drivers that led to the development of the MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI. Through innovation we seek to shift the boundaries of what is possible and surpass our own industry-breaking milestones, a process of continuous evolution. Both, as a family company and as the leader of our industry, we are very mindful of MSC’s key role in decarbonizing the logistics value chain, and the benchmark we set for others in our industry.”
MSC Germany Managing Director Nils Kahn also highlighted the importance of the ports of Bremen as an MSC location: “We handle more than 1 Mio TEU per year here and run dedicated trains to and from many domestic locations. We are connecting the world from exactly this location with a weekly service to the Eastern Mediterranean, two weekly services to the Far East, three weekly services to South America and Mexico and an impressive five weekly services to North America.”
The ship’s blessing was conducted by Provost Dr. Bernhard Stecker, who has led the Catholic Community Association Bremen since 2019 and is the head of the Catholic Office in Bremen, the liaison office of the Catholic Church to the Bremen Senate and the Bremen Parliament in the state. After the blessing, Godmother Cindy-Jo Cappellini performed the christening of the ship by cutting the ribbon and smashing a bottle of champagne against the hull.
Yellow confetti streamed down, the ship’s horns sounded and MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI can now travel the world’s oceans.
Memorandum of Understanding on Shore Power Infrastructure
Shortly before the naming ceremony started, Kai Stuehrenberg, State Secretary for Economic Affairs of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Andreas Dressel, Senator for Finance of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and MSC CEO Soren Toft met for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing on the use of shore power for MSC container vessels in both ports.
Soren Toft said: “I am particularly proud that we signed a Memorandum of Understanding between MSC, the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg, and their port administrations, to partner and collaborate on the implementation of shore power taking us one step closer to ensuring a decarbonized supply chain for global trade.”
MSC Germany Managing Director Nils Kahn also called on German authorities in Berlin to ensure closer collaboration between German ports on the topic of infrastructure development, citing the MoU signed between MSC and the port authorities as an example of what private-public partnership means for MSC.
Additional speeches were given by Kai Stuehrenberg, State Secretary for Economic Affairs of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Andreas Dressel, Senator for Finance of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
The Naming Ceremony
The ceremony was a celebration, highlighting MSC’s commitment to sustainability, sports and the arts. It was moderated by German TV presenter, Jule Gölsdorf. She introduced Boris Herrmann, Germany’s leading yachtsman, world record holder and skipper of sailing team Team Malizia. Boris Herrmann shared his experience from the recent Ocean Race. MSC is a sponsor of Team Malizia and one of the six Official Founding Partners. In front of the 800-guest crowd Boris expressed his gratitude for MSC’s sponsorship and dedication to net zero commitments.
Guests included representatives of local authorities and businesses, customers and journalists. They enjoyed a spectacular performance by Andrea Casta, the famous Italian crossover electric violinist, and Sarah Voss, Germany’s artistic gymnast, all-around national champion and bronze medal winner in the team competition at the 2022 European Championships. The live music and the acrobatic gymnastic performance expressed the very concept of balance between progress and sustainability, humans and nature, present and past.
MSC CEO Soren Toft concluded: “Global trade is crucial for maintaining peace, economic development and growth, and we are serving as a neutral force in the face of the political and diplomatic adversity we see today. Our new 24,000 TEUs-class ships, some of the world’s largest currently on the water, are essential for facilitating and enabling effective global trade. Ultimately connecting cultures, people and continents.“
ONE announces FLX, a new service for South American reefer shipments. Image: ONE
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Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. announces FLX, a new service connecting the West Coast of South America to the East Coast of North America. The service is set to launch in September 2023. With an emphasis on innovative and efficient transportation solutions, FLX caters to customers looking for reliable South American reefer container shipments.
Flavorful South American Delights Reach New Shores
Many Latin American fruits, vegetables and seafood, such as mangoes, asparagus, shrimp, have been gaining popularity worldwide. As a result, Latin American reefer container transportation has seen a remarkable growth, nearly doubling over the past few years.
Strengthening Our Commitment to South America and Reefer Services
With our reefer services, we have established ourselves as a significant player on the Latin America-Asia route, for which we have earned praise from our customers over the years. To further improve the quality of our transportation services, we are redoubling our efforts by investing in state-of-the-art equipment, including Control Atmosphere (CA) containers and telematics devices.
Unveiling FLX: Expanding New Horizons for Shipments
FLX provides exclusive service, connecting the South America West Coast to the North America East Coast (Florida) with our own dedicated fleet of vessels. The service aims to offer fresh options to our valued customers, including those previously engaged in Asia-bound shipments, while expanding shipping possibilities and streamlining supply chain processes. FLX will launch in September 2023 in preparation for the harvest and shipping season.
Service Details
The FLX service will deploy four vessels in order to ensure schedule stability. This service will connect Callao and Paita (Peru), and Guayaquil (Ecuador) to South Florida with one of the fastest transit times on the market. With excellent options for the transportation of refrigerated cargo, the direct routes include Callao-South Florida in 11 days, Paita-South Florida in 9 days, and Guayaquil-South Florida in 8 days.
Furthermore, FLX provides a direct connection from South Florida to Honduras, in addition to destinations in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With hub ports like Cartagena (Colombia) and Callao (Peru), ONE services can be seamlessly connected with other services to/from the United States, East Coast South America, Europe, Caribbean and Asia.
Chilean exporters can also conveniently connect their cargoes via Callao, adding to the route’s accessibility. In summary, the FLX route offers multiple connection options:
Callao – Paita – Guayaquil – Cartagena – South Florida – Puerto Cortés – Cartagena – Callao.
Yu Kurimoto, Managing Director of ONE said, “We aim to share South America’s distinctive flavors with people across the globe. With our FLX and LUX services, we are excited to open new doors for businesses and individuals, enabling them to enjoy the authentic tastes of this vibrant region.”
