Glimmers of hope for increased use of rail for citrus

THE 2025 citrus export season has now reached its peak. The estimates suggest that, should all go well, a record amount of 171.1 million 15kg cartons of citrus will be exported by the end of the season. As South Africa's largest agricultural export industry, the value of smooth and improved logistics is widely recognised by the sector. Port logistics have been receiving more attention in general, but the role improved rail usage can play in bolstering the sector should be more widely acknowledged.

- MITCHELL BROOKE

Just over a week ago, the first train carrying dozens of refrigerated containers of citrus departed from City Deep in Johannesburg to the port of Durban. 2025 is expected to be a bumper year for this route and its success is largely made possible by the organisational efforts of CTI Logistics, a Johannesburg-based logistics company.

40% of South Africa's export citrus is grown in Limpopo. Once harvested, the produce must be kept refrigerated under strict cold protocol temperature as it travels about 850 km to Durban before it is shipped. Currently, about 90% of the citrus is shipped to the Port of Durban via trucks, which makes rail projects like the CTI-organised train exceptional.

The Limpopo-grown citrus shipped from the City Deep terminal is trucked to CTI's cold storage facilities close to the terminal, from where it is loaded. Every week during the high season a train with a minimum of 48 "reefers" (refrigerated containers holding 20 pallets of citrus) departs from Johannesburg in this way. "Currently the terminal has 48 plug-points, but it has the capacity to expand in the future," explained Claudia Cuturi, the managing director of CTI Logistics, about the Transnet facilities. A plug-point supplies a reefer with electricity for temperature management.

"Transnet sometimes gets bad press, but really, these containers in Johannesburg are treated like their own children. Temperatures are checked through the night and day. Along the route, where necessary, a safety car follows the train to provide additional security," continued Cuturi.

The need for increased shipments of citrus in this way - and on other routes - is pressing for a number of reasons.