Banana industry shaken by yet another hurricane: Rita
Banana industry shaken by yet another hurricane: Rita
"Freeport has been closed due to a U.S. Coast Guard order, so we are diverting scheduled shipments there to Port Everglades, Florida," Mike Mitchell, spokesman for Chiquita Brands International in Cincinnati, said on the afternoon of Sept. 21.
Mr. Mitchell referred to the port of Freeport, TX, which became an alternative banana receiving port for Chiquita after Hurricane Katrina destroyed Chiquita and Dole's port facilities in Gulfport, MS, on Aug. 29.
At The Produce News press time, Hurricane Rita was forecast to hit the Texas Gulf Coast around 2 a.m. Sept. 24. Rita, a category five hurricane, was still strengthening at press time.
In Katrinas wake, Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc. and Turbana Corp., both headquartered in Coral Gables, FL, seemed very fortunate to have Texas port facilities in Galveston and Freeport, respectively. Just three-and-a-half weeks later, both of those operations were threatened by Rita. Chiquita and Dole looked to be twice struck by very bad strokes of luck. Both Dole and Chiquita were using Freeport as an alternative to Gulfport.
On the afternoon on Sept. 21, Turbana CEO Juan Alarcon said that the Coast Guard order for a mandatory evacuation of the port of Freeport was going into effect at 6 p.m.
Turbana, which also ships bananas to Bridgeport, CT, from its Colombian growing operations, had already discharged bananas for the week in Freeport. The Turbana bananas were unloaded in Freeport on Sept. 19. The shipping of that fruit was to be 95 percent completed today, Mr. Alarcon told The Produce News Sept. 21.
On Sept. 18, Reuters news service reported that the port of Gulfport, MS, planned to resume limited operations no later than Sept. 30. Mr. Alarcon indicated that Dole was going to discharge in revitalized Gulfport rather than threatened Freeport on Sept. 22.
Marta Maitles, spokesperson for Dole Fresh Fruit in Westlake Village, CA, said late on the afternoon of Sept. 21, We evacuated from the port of Freeport today. We were required to do that. Since we had a ship coming to Freeport, well be going to Gulfport. We have temporary facilities set up in Gulfport now. We were planning on going back to Gulfport soon, but not this soon.
In the near term, Dole in Gulfport will be moving banana containers straight from the ship to chassises, which will immediately go on the road. Prior to Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, We had structures and warehouse facilities that no longer exist. We have temporary office space set up now, said Ms. Maitles.
She said that a Dole banana ship was in the Gulf of Mexico bound for Freeport and that the ship was forced to alter its course to get out of the path of the storm. That is the ship going to Gulfport this week.
These are challenging times, but there are people dealing with more challenging issues that this, so were doing our best to do our business, Ms. Maitles said.
Del Monte officials were not immediately available for comment on Sept. 21. But Galveston is normally a receiving point for Del Monte imported bananas and other tropical fruit. Other Del Monte ports include Manatee, FL, Camden, NJ, and Hueneme, CA.
Mr. Alarcon said that Turbana was standing by to decide which port to use for its Sept. 26 discharge for the southern United States. While he said that he hoped Freeport would be undamaged, Mr. Alarcon said that Turbana had already made arrangements to go to a Florida port if Freeport facilities became unusable. We have a quick vessel, he said, adding that decisions will be made as Ritas legacy unfolds. What is going on is just a pity, Mr. Alarcon said of the recent plague of hurricanes.
The Reuters report indicated that, although Gulfport facilities were heavily damaged, and in some cases obliterated, by Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, the port should be able to begin loading and unloading cargoes of tropical fruit, clothing and other items by Sept. 30, according to Mississippi State Port Authority Executive Director Don Allee.
Vessels owned and operated by Dole and Chiquita are to be among the very early to unload cargo again in Gulfport, according to Reuters. While Gulfport suffered tremendous devastating damage and is still in the clean-up-and-recovery mode, it does have the capability to handle container cargos that can be easily unloaded and then trucked out of the area, Mr. Allee said.
He told Reuters that it will cost an estimated $55 million to replace warehouse and shed space needed to handle the wide variety of cargo Gulfport formerly processed.
Mr. Mitchell referred to the port of Freeport, TX, which became an alternative banana receiving port for Chiquita after Hurricane Katrina destroyed Chiquita and Dole's port facilities in Gulfport, MS, on Aug. 29.
At The Produce News press time, Hurricane Rita was forecast to hit the Texas Gulf Coast around 2 a.m. Sept. 24. Rita, a category five hurricane, was still strengthening at press time.
In Katrinas wake, Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc. and Turbana Corp., both headquartered in Coral Gables, FL, seemed very fortunate to have Texas port facilities in Galveston and Freeport, respectively. Just three-and-a-half weeks later, both of those operations were threatened by Rita. Chiquita and Dole looked to be twice struck by very bad strokes of luck. Both Dole and Chiquita were using Freeport as an alternative to Gulfport.
On the afternoon on Sept. 21, Turbana CEO Juan Alarcon said that the Coast Guard order for a mandatory evacuation of the port of Freeport was going into effect at 6 p.m.
Turbana, which also ships bananas to Bridgeport, CT, from its Colombian growing operations, had already discharged bananas for the week in Freeport. The Turbana bananas were unloaded in Freeport on Sept. 19. The shipping of that fruit was to be 95 percent completed today, Mr. Alarcon told The Produce News Sept. 21.
On Sept. 18, Reuters news service reported that the port of Gulfport, MS, planned to resume limited operations no later than Sept. 30. Mr. Alarcon indicated that Dole was going to discharge in revitalized Gulfport rather than threatened Freeport on Sept. 22.
Marta Maitles, spokesperson for Dole Fresh Fruit in Westlake Village, CA, said late on the afternoon of Sept. 21, We evacuated from the port of Freeport today. We were required to do that. Since we had a ship coming to Freeport, well be going to Gulfport. We have temporary facilities set up in Gulfport now. We were planning on going back to Gulfport soon, but not this soon.
In the near term, Dole in Gulfport will be moving banana containers straight from the ship to chassises, which will immediately go on the road. Prior to Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, We had structures and warehouse facilities that no longer exist. We have temporary office space set up now, said Ms. Maitles.
She said that a Dole banana ship was in the Gulf of Mexico bound for Freeport and that the ship was forced to alter its course to get out of the path of the storm. That is the ship going to Gulfport this week.
These are challenging times, but there are people dealing with more challenging issues that this, so were doing our best to do our business, Ms. Maitles said.
Del Monte officials were not immediately available for comment on Sept. 21. But Galveston is normally a receiving point for Del Monte imported bananas and other tropical fruit. Other Del Monte ports include Manatee, FL, Camden, NJ, and Hueneme, CA.
Mr. Alarcon said that Turbana was standing by to decide which port to use for its Sept. 26 discharge for the southern United States. While he said that he hoped Freeport would be undamaged, Mr. Alarcon said that Turbana had already made arrangements to go to a Florida port if Freeport facilities became unusable. We have a quick vessel, he said, adding that decisions will be made as Ritas legacy unfolds. What is going on is just a pity, Mr. Alarcon said of the recent plague of hurricanes.
The Reuters report indicated that, although Gulfport facilities were heavily damaged, and in some cases obliterated, by Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, the port should be able to begin loading and unloading cargoes of tropical fruit, clothing and other items by Sept. 30, according to Mississippi State Port Authority Executive Director Don Allee.
Vessels owned and operated by Dole and Chiquita are to be among the very early to unload cargo again in Gulfport, according to Reuters. While Gulfport suffered tremendous devastating damage and is still in the clean-up-and-recovery mode, it does have the capability to handle container cargos that can be easily unloaded and then trucked out of the area, Mr. Allee said.
He told Reuters that it will cost an estimated $55 million to replace warehouse and shed space needed to handle the wide variety of cargo Gulfport formerly processed.
