"Cooperation with packing stations and exporters streamlines onion flow through the terminal"

The onion export season is back in full swing, bringing activity to the port of Vlissingen. Last week, the vessel Mv. Ditlev handled the first shipment of the season, which was also one of the largest conventional onion shipments ever to leave the port of Vlissingen for Dakar (Senegal). "Vlissingen is increasingly developing as a food port," says Pascal Spijkers of stevedoring company Supermaritime Netherlands.

"The export season to Africa starts in August and traditionally ends between Christmas and New Year's Day. Sometimes we then have a single sailing to Dakar in January, but that's it," says Pascal.

Although the actual loading of ships has hardly changed in recent years, he notes that the overall process has become increasingly efficient. "We are working more closely with packing stations and exporters in the market, and we are also becoming more data-driven to streamline the delivery process through the terminal."

© Supermaritime

Tetris
"There is no sailing to Dakar scheduled for this week, but there will be one next week. It takes us about two days to load a ship. Below deck, between 4,000 and 4,500 pallets fit into a vessel. For the forklift drivers in the cargo hold, it's a matter of trial and error to position the cargo as tightly as possible, with the challenge being to work quickly without causing any damage. It's like a game of Tetris, but the forklift drivers know their job well," says Pascal.

Exporters book their shipments with Breadbox Shipping Lines, which specialises in routes to West Africa. Supermaritime Netherlands then receives a list, after which, based on the booked cargo, pin codes are issued for delivering the onions to Vlissingen.

"But we also operate a year-round weekly shipping line to Suriname and Guyana, which also carries a lot of potatoes and onions. We have to be even more careful with potatoes than with onions, so we always transport them in containers whenever possible, to prevent exposure to direct sunlight during loading and unloading."

For more information:
Pascal Spijkers
Supermaritime Group
Oostenrijkweg 15
4455RZ Nieuwdorp -North Sea Port
Tel: +31 (0)118-460020
[email protected]
www.supermaritime.com