REEFER markets are more resilient in the Covid crisis and general slowdown than other cargo types, says New Jersey's SeaCube Containers vice president Greg Tuthill.
'Vaccines are first going to be moved via air freight, but followed by replenishment or backfill by ocean freight, so there will be high demand for vaccine transport in the ocean mode,' Mr Tuthill said.
'Population growth and urbanisation continue to demand more food from different regions,' he told Rotterdam's recent Cool Logistics Global conference.
Annual growth in reefer container shipping could reach four to six per cent through to 2024, Mr Tuthill predicted, 'irrespective of how we recover from the pandemic', reported London's Loadstar.
While perishables are the usual staple of reefer shipping, he believes carriers will be jostling for a slice of the Covid vaccine supply chain so coveted by air freight.
'Vaccines are first going to be moved via air freight, but followed by replenishment or backfill by ocean freight, so there will be high demand for vaccine transport in the ocean mode,' Mr Tuthill said.
But reefer cargo has not been exempt from the huge disruption to shipping networks seen this year, he said, noting there had been reefer shortages from global lockdowns and, with the greater imbalance in trade flows since the crisis began, too many empties have been left at destination.
'Smaller vessels and niche carriers are more versatile, in terms of trying to provide better services in developing markets and smaller markets.
'So vessel size versatility is becoming more important, and I think that may continue to drive some diversity in the marketplace,' he said.
Cape Town's A-Bar-C Services director Andy Connell said reefer shipping rescued South African growers during the height of the country's lockdown supply chain disruption.
'Our port productivity went down to such a degree that we were lucky to have the specialised reefer vessels as a parachute, which shows their versatility,' said Mr Connell.
'We went from 147,650 pallets on conventional vessels last year to 198,000 - that might be a one-off, but it's given a new lease of life to the specialist reefer, when you look at the South African context, because many exporters found it more reliable way of getting door-to-door by going fruit port-to-fruit port.
'More and more of the specialised fleet are combined carriers, with space for a hundred-plus containers, which is of huge benefit,' he said..
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'Vaccines are first going to be moved via air freight, but followed by replenishment or backfill by ocean freight, so there will be high demand for vaccine transport in the ocean mode,' Mr Tuthill said.
'Population growth and urbanisation continue to demand more food from different regions,' he told Rotterdam's recent Cool Logistics Global conference.
Annual growth in reefer container shipping could reach four to six per cent through to 2024, Mr Tuthill predicted, 'irrespective of how we recover from the pandemic', reported London's Loadstar.
While perishables are the usual staple of reefer shipping, he believes carriers will be jostling for a slice of the Covid vaccine supply chain so coveted by air freight.
'Vaccines are first going to be moved via air freight, but followed by replenishment or backfill by ocean freight, so there will be high demand for vaccine transport in the ocean mode,' Mr Tuthill said.
But reefer cargo has not been exempt from the huge disruption to shipping networks seen this year, he said, noting there had been reefer shortages from global lockdowns and, with the greater imbalance in trade flows since the crisis began, too many empties have been left at destination.
'Smaller vessels and niche carriers are more versatile, in terms of trying to provide better services in developing markets and smaller markets.
'So vessel size versatility is becoming more important, and I think that may continue to drive some diversity in the marketplace,' he said.
Cape Town's A-Bar-C Services director Andy Connell said reefer shipping rescued South African growers during the height of the country's lockdown supply chain disruption.
'Our port productivity went down to such a degree that we were lucky to have the specialised reefer vessels as a parachute, which shows their versatility,' said Mr Connell.
'We went from 147,650 pallets on conventional vessels last year to 198,000 - that might be a one-off, but it's given a new lease of life to the specialist reefer, when you look at the South African context, because many exporters found it more reliable way of getting door-to-door by going fruit port-to-fruit port.
'More and more of the specialised fleet are combined carriers, with space for a hundred-plus containers, which is of huge benefit,' he said..
SeaNews Turkey