Browsing by Author "Dreyer, Mia"

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    Evaluating the performance of the citrus export cold chain to the United States of America : a case study
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03-29) Dreyer, Mia; Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Logistics.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: South Africa (SA) is regarded as a top producer and exporter of citrus fruit, supplying high quality citrus to premium markets globally. The United States of America (USA) is supplied annually during the months of April to October with fresh South African citrus produce, namely soft citrus, oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes, which conform with the international cold treatment regime for the USA. Most of the citrus fruit is distributed to the ports along the East Coast of the USA. The SA to USA citrus trade has shown significant growth and development over recent years in terms of containerised cold treatment citrus exports. However, the industry is concerned regarding the functionality and performance of the citrus export cold chain to the USA. Company M encouraged the research, which focused on evaluating the performance of the citrus export cold chain to the USA out of the Port of Cape Town. The focus of the research was directed on the South African component of the citrus export chain, namely from the cold storage phase until port of discharge (POD). The research attempted to identify and explore the challenges, vulnerabilities as well as opportunities in the citrus export chain. The research included in-depth expert interviews, electronic questionnaires as well as citrus export data covering the citrus exports to the USA over a ten-year period. Furthermore, secondary data, enhanced the research. From the analysis, it was apparent that the industry experienced significant growth in citrus exports, especially in that of soft citrus and easy peelers such as tangerines. While identifying the increased citrus exports, the data analysis highlighted that the chain is encountering several challenges such as co-operation from the port in terms of port functionality, road transportation reputation and cold store space capacity. These above-mentioned challenges affect the performance and functionality of the citrus export cold chain to the USA. Apart from these challenges, the impact thereof was researched, identifying delays in the export chain, further expenditure for stakeholders and a negative performance perception of the export chain. The results of the research revealed that the citrus export cold chain to the USA is performing adequately, however, has room for improvement to boost performance levels. While each phase highlighted concerns, the Port of Cape Town was stressed as the foremost concern in the exporting chain. Main findings highlighted poor port performance results, which included lacking port infrastructure and equipment, congestion, poor customer service and reliability, which negatively influence the citrus supply chain day-to-day operations. The research identified limited cold store space availability, transportation unreliability and cost as well shipping line equipment availability and expenditure as additional concerns.