Page 16 - Logistics Update Africa March - April 2024 issue for Website

FOCUS

Why should you

upgrade your
FLOWER EXPORT

PACKAGING

TECHNIQUES

Upgrading flower packaging techniques can help reduce costs
and boost profit margins, reports Rajarshi Chatterjee.

re you still using flower these fragile materials arrive fresh, airfreight, most stakeholders in the flower
packaging techniques that date undamaged, and with a long vase life, even logistics sector still use outdated packing
back to the 1960s? While the old after being transported across countries, techniques from the 1960s, '70s, and '80s.
Asaying "old is good" may be true continents, and cities by air, road, or sea.
for some things, it's not always applicable Throughout the journey from the farm ARE BOXES FROM THE
when it comes to logistics, especially to the vase, flowers go through various 1960S, ‘70S AND ‘80S STILL
flower logistics. If you want to pack more stages, including growth, harvesting, RELEVANT?
flowers, reduce costs, minimise waste, post-harvest treatment, logistics, storage, In a recent social media post,
decrease flower damage and ultimately transportation conditions, cooling FlowerWatch's CEO, Jeroen van der
increase profit margins, it may be time to technologies, and packaging. Without Hulst, recently pointed out that the
consider upgrading your flower export these essential processes, a cut flower can flower industry has neglected packaging
packaging techniques. only remain fresh for three days. As a innovation for too long. He emphasised
result, choosing the right packaging for the need to embrace optimised packaging
THE JOURNEY FROM FARM flowers during their journey is crucial, solutions for improved flower quality, pack
TO VASES given the significant number of boxes that rates, and sales.
In the globalised floriculture industry, get shipped. Though the Netherlands’ market share
flowers typically travel thousands of miles This Valentine’s season alone, the of the global flower industry has dropped
from where they are grown to where they are LATAM group’s air cargo subsidiaries from 50% to 48% in 2019, they still play
sold. Fresh flowers are the most delicate of all exported close to 25,000 tonnes of flowers a major role as the inventor of packaging
cash crops and require special care during in just 21 days from Columbia and solutions like auction trolleys which
transportation. The most challenging Ecuador to the US and Europe. While it's are still in use. According to industry
aspect of this industry is ensuring that crucial to pack each box of flowers for experts, many of the flower boxes, from

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