Reports have surfaced warning South Africans of possible food shortages following the civil unrest in KwaZulu Natal and the recent cyberattack on Transnet.
According to a report in The South African, although operations have resumed at the Durban port, 55% of cold storage capacity has already been lost in the province.
Quoted in the report, Paul Matthew, CEO of the South African Association of Meat Importers & Exporters (Amie SA), said that the industry was under pressure to move 300 reefer containers out of the port as the space was needed for incoming cargo.
“The Durban port is running out of plug points used to keep containers cool, which will result in massive food wastage if not resolved immediately,” the report read.
“We have a serious crisis. Transnet is putting pressure on us to move 300 containers because they are taking up all the power points, but because regulations are so stringent, we can’t just move them,” Matthew said.
The report further explains that there are 35 000 metric tonnes of cold storage space in Johannesburg to which the containers could be moved, but the industry has not received any assistance from government regarding its need to move the cargo urgently before it undergoes mandatory import checks.
“The South African Meat Processors Association and Amie SA have written to the Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, recommending urgent intervention to allow fully sealed containers to be transported to inland cold storage facilities, where the inland veterinary teams can follow normal testing and release procedures. In this process, consignments will be held in bond until cleared for release,” the report read.
“South Africa’s processed meat sector relies heavily on imported ingredients for the production of processed meats such as polony, viennas and russians. The country also imports chicken to augment local production to meet the needs of local consumers. Local poultry and pork producers are also being impacted as they import animal feed, which is also being held up in the port.”
It is estimated that it will take up to 18 months to rebuild, repair and resume operations at strategic cold storage and processing facilities that were impacted in the province.
