Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has achieved a record-breaking load from the Port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape on Friday.
Operations director Ian Rosario said the vessel MSC Rayshmi, which departed for the Canary Islands late Friday evening, lifted a record volume of mostly citrus cargo destined for Europe.
“The reefer liftings (exports) on the MSC Rayshmi amounted to 1246 forty feet equivalent units.
“It’s a record-breaking lifting out of the Eastern Cape,” Rosario said.
He attributed the feat to “continuously evolving strategies deployed by MSC.
He thanked Ngqura Container Terminal for “working together with our marketing and operations teams in facilitating this load.”
The MSC Rayshmi sailed straight to Europe from Ngqura, bypassing Cape Town, offering citrus exporters a better transit time for their produce.
“To cater for exports out of Cape Town, the MSC Cassandre has been positioned accordingly,” Rosario said.
A total of 97% of the MSC Rayshmi’s cargo comprised citrus exports.
The vessel is expected to arrive at the Port of Las Palmas on 19 September, from where she will depart for London Gateway and Rotterdam.