INTERVIEW
Q: Which pilot projects have you performed so far?
A: We had a project where we send carnations and baby’s breath, but one of the main problems we face was the ground transportation in Colombia, since most farms are located in the interior of Colombia. This becomes a problem for our clients since this is- sue increases their cost and time, but in spite of that, it was huge success, and everything went accord- ingly as planned.
Q: What are the advantages of sea freight for the cut flowers growers and for the buyers as well?
A: The clear advantage is the money they save on sea transportation; you can save 50 percent or more, which means they are able to lower the prices, mak- ing buyers happy. Although as I mentioned before, there are some cases where the inland transporta- tion in Colombia can be costly and have time issues, but even with this problem, sea transportation still has lower rates.
Q: Can a closed cool chain be organized from farm to point of sale?
A: Yes, refrigerated containers are easily movable. They can be placed anywhere on the farm, and once it’s full of flowers, it’s ready to be sent to port. Also shippers can send flowers on refrigerated trucks di- rectly to the port of loading. There flowers are trans- loaded to reefer containers, using a “Sortie Reefer Container” in order not to affect the cool chain when transferring the flowers from the truck to the con- tainer.
Q: Which technical conditions do you offer?
A: Seaboard Marine offers refrigerated containers with controlled atmosphere for the flowers. These containers help prevent humidity. Also there is a new technology called “O3” that gives a better en- vironment for the flowers while in the container. Seaboard Marine also offers a refrigerated storage area for cargo inside Miami’s port terminals that is exclusively designed for perishable that guarantees our customer’s cargo to be in a cool and control at-
mosphere at all times. Our company has built a ro- bust level of time-sensitivity into process and finish. We created special import departments at all offices that expedite the clearance of reefer freight and take great pride in being prepared to handle any variety of issues posted by Customs, the Department of Ag- riculture, and other agencies. We also work closely with importers and customs brokers prior to a ves- sel’s arrival, so that advanced efforts can take place.
Q: How do you see the future of the sea transport for fresh cut flowers? Do you think that sea trans- port route will become an increasingly preferred option in the future?
A: Yes, Seaboard Marine believes that sea freight will play an important role in the flower industry in the future as this mode of transportation reduces costs. Flower industry in Colombia has been facing big challenges, mainly caused by Colombian Peso revaluation and high personnel expenses, and they need to reduce costs all over. SCF
“
(...) sea freight will play an important role in the flower
industry
in the future as this mode of transporta- tion reduces costs.
Jorge A. Garavito is Cooperative Communications Coordi- nator at SEABOARD MARINE. You can reach him at
Jorge.Garavito@
seaboardcolombia.com.co
FOR MORE:
www.seaboardmarine.com www.SelectaCutFlowers.com FloralNews 5 4
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20