Port of Virginia completes USDA's cold-treatment program and opens to imports of fresh produce
After completing the cold treatment pilot program in the southeastern United States of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), importers of fresh products from South American countries will be able to move their cargo through the Port of Virginia.
The approval comes hand in hand with the effort made by the port to expand its refrigerated cargo handling capacity, according to the company.
The port is investing USD 700 million to increase capacity at its two main container terminals, Virginia International Gateway (VIG) and Norfolk International Terminals (NIT). The investment includes more space for refrigerated cargo in each terminal.
According to John F. Reinhart, CEO and Executive Director of the Port Authority of Virginia, "we are the main exporter of vegetables from the East Coast of the United States, and this designation positions us to achieve the same success with imported fruit."
He added that "this is important for the logistics and supply chain managers who import agricultural products because it means that this cargo will reach their market more quickly."
The maritime terminal also has the capacity to handle refrigerated cargo on the Richmond Express barge, which connects the Norfolk port terminals with the Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) with service three times a week. In 2017, the port invested in an 40 power unit plugs for the barge.
"There are RMT users who use the barge to move the refrigerated cargo, and the interest in that service continues to grow," Reinhart said.
He added that "the work we are doing in this business area is helping to diversify our cargo mix and build a sustainable future for this port."
In October of 2017, the port began participating in the USDA pilot program that allowed the importation of certain refrigerated fresh fruits from South America. Under the program, Virginia could import loads of blueberries, citrus and cold-treated grapes from Peru; cranberries and grapes from Uruguay; and apples, blueberries and pears from Argentina. The approval, which was distributed this week, went into effect immediately.
Among the benefits of the new designation are lower transportation costs, a longer shelf life for fresh products, lower retail prices and environmental benefits due to the reduction of transportation related to emissions.
The program allows imports into containers to enter the port directly, after completing a two-week cold treatment process, as a safeguard against fruit flies and other pests, as well as acquiring all necessary discharge authorizations before of the arrival of the shipment to the port.
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