Colombia's Agricultural Institute (ICA) endorsed the Puerto de Barranquilla company to export Hass avocados to the United States. The terminal already has the infrastructure for refrigerated and frozen cargo, with a warehouse in which it handles all kinds of products such as flowers, fruits, vegetables, meats, and ice cream, among others.
The president of the port company, Rene Puche, said that the avocado that will be exported to the United States comes mainly from the coffee area. The ICA authorization has already been notified to the United States Department of Agriculture and its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service division.
Puche said this was a big step for the Organization, since it allows them to expand the portfolio of perishable products currently being moved through the terminal.
"We are proud to see how our commitment to the perishable products industry, which at the time was daring, begins to yield the expected results and how it brings us closer to our goal of becoming the leading port logistics platform in the Colombian Caribbean," he said.
The warehouse and refrigerated and frozen cargo distribution center of the Port of Barranquilla was inaugurated in November 2015, and it is currently the only one of this style in a port terminal in Colombia.
Puche said the warehouse had an area of 3,200 square meters and that it was equipped with modern technology that enabled them to have efficient processes, which offers them the possibility to ensure the cold chain for perishable products, avoid moving the cargo for inspections, and have traceability of the load in real time.
In this area, the exporters can carry out partial nationalizations and the immediate return of containers, which allows them to avoid extra payments for delays and better negotiate freight rates.
Source: elheraldo.co