The transport revolution
Transport is going to, undoubtedly, evolve even further in the coming years. Other modalities are being developed as road transport becomes increasingly difficult and unreliable, and the environment is playing an increasingly important role. Think of, for example, rail transport, barges (river transport) and short sea connections. Rotterdam is better suited for these than other ports. If Rotterdam works on it and helps facilitate these, it will put the port in an even better position. "We are still at the beginning of these developments. Few trains have electrical connection in order to, for example, keep products cool. There are not enough lines available. There have to be terminals at the right places. The amount of fruit and vegetables that are transported by these alternative modalities is very small. I am convinced that this will increase in the future", says Jansen.
Shift from import to local market increases competition
In South America, an increasing number of products are being sold directly to local and surrounding markets. China also buys large quantities from Africa. what does this mean for a company like Total Produce? "We are getting more competition from other markets. A number of emerging markets in the Far East are becoming more important, not only for South American exporters, but also for countries like South Africa. In the past Total Produce had nothing to do with these markets. Europe and America were the most important markets worldwide. This shift means more competition. Buying power has increased in these new markets. In contrast, food safety regulations are far stricter in the European markets. This sometimes makes our markets less attractive", says Michel Jansen.
Best service delivery and cost effectiveness
Michel Jansen explains the unique service that the port of Rotterdam has to offer: "The port of Rotterdam is able to deliver services few other European ports can. This means goods are received in the port in an efficient manner and are then transported inland via a fine tuned network. Rotterdam has no influence on the export market outside of Europe. Rotterdam can, however, ensure that a product goes to Rotterdam and not, for example to Antwerp. Rotterdam can help importers such as Total Produce B.V. to better equip themselves against the competition.
The ideal future image of regional logistic
Michel Jansen's wish is that: "The port of Rotterdam becomes the starting point of AGF distribution of agro-logistics within a large part of Europe." This offers a huge competitive edge for businesses in the port of Rotterdam. Customs and Quality Control must be done in a flexible manner to ensure that the port of Rotterdam is, at the very least, as efficient as other ports in this regard. The multi-modular network ultimately provides choices and better alternatives to road transport. More sustainable transport solutions can also be offered to clients. This choice can be made depending on the need: sustainability, cost of speed.
Source: Rotterdam Food Cluster