Port of Savannah begins importing cold-treated produce from Peru

The Port of Savannah received its first cold-treated citrus shipment from Peru as part of a United States Department of Agriculture pilot program.    The Port of Savannah recently received its first cold-treated citrus cargo from Peru, which consisted of a shipment of tangelos from Andean Sun Produce farms in Ica, Peru, as part of a United States Department of Agriculture pilot program, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) said.
   The pilot program allows for citrus, grapes and blueberries to be imported into the United States if they have been chilled for a minimum of 17 days prior to entry into the country.
   The cold treatment process, which protects against fruit flies and reduces the need for pesticides, may be done in producing countries, including Peru, Chile and Brazil, or at transshipment points such as Panama.
   During transport aboard cargo vessels, the fruit will be packed in refrigerated containers held just over freezing.
   Prior to the implementation of the pilot program, deliveries of South American produce were made to Northern U.S. ports and trucked to the southeast.
   “By moving perishable cargo through the Port of Savannah, you can reach customers faster, save on transit costs, and take advantage of unmatched assets such as on-site inspection and the nation’s most comprehensive refrigerated cargo infrastructure,” GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz said in a statement.
   The Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal features 84 refrigerated container racks and 733 chassis plug-ins, powering 2,749 refrigerated boxes at a time. By the end of the year, the terminal expects to have another 20 refrigerated container racks, which will add 480 refrigerated container slots.
   “Ocean delivery to Savannah means cargoes ranging from fruits to seafood reach fast-growing Southeastern markets faster and fresher,” added GPA Chief Commercial Officer Cliff Pyron. “While exports such as poultry account for most of GPA’s frozen cargo, refrigerated imports are expanding as more food producers choose the Port of Savannah to reach markets such as Atlanta, Charlotte and Memphis.”