“Partida Logistics highlights the “unconditional support of the Alaouite government for companies and investments such as the Dakhla Atlantic port and the West Africa Free Zone”.”
In recent years, Spanish raspberry production has fallen due to the boom in production in Morocco. This phenomenon adds to the rapid diversification of Alawite crops. “A decade ago, Morocco practically only grew tomatoes and today they produce the entire shopping basket and export to many countries in Europe, the United Kingdom, Russia, the USA and Canada, among others, recalls Álvaro Partida, head of the Brexit Department at Partida Logistics. At the Customs agency, they have been working and observing Morocco from a privileged location, the Port of Algeciras, for years.
More infrastructure and facilities
The lower cost of labor, the favorable climate for cultivation and the “unconditional support of the government to boost the sector and create jobs” have led Spanish, Dutch, German, Portuguese and many other companies to establish themselves in Morocco some time ago. The latest move by the Moroccan government came last October, when it announced the construction of a desalination plant to irrigate 5,000 hectares of crops in the Sahara. It will also set up two logistics platforms of 35 hectares each, a 900 megawatt wind farm, the Dakhla Atlantic port and the West Africa Free Zone attached to the port. “It is logical that companies from any country are attracted by these opportunities and the production capacity of any agricultural product,” Partida assures.
Morocco announced construction of a desalination plant to irrigate 5,000 ha in the Sahara
Algeciras Connection
The port platform of Algeciras enjoys geographical proximity, a constant exchange of goods of any type and “magnificent institutional relations” between the Maghreb country and Spain.
The Port and the numerous local companies that provide direct and ancillary services to logistics are strongly linked to the activity with Morocco. And in the case of Partida Logistics, operations with the Alawite country have a 65% impact on its activity. “We have import, export, transit, PIF, ADR (dangerous goods) and live animal departments, oriented with customs clearance and logistical support. This huge amount of goods movement demands schedules (we are operational 24/7/365), a large staff and IT tools. The Port of Algeciras, Customs, sanitary, phytosanitary and veterinary agencies work from Monday to Sunday, being the only ones in Spain with these characteristics”.
Avoiding errors in invoices, phytosanitary certificates and CMRs avoids delays and additional costs
Agility for maximum freshness
The logistics chain for perishable products requires exhaustive attention, long working hours and solid coordination between the organizations involved. These tasks are especially important for products as delicious as berries. Its perfect arrival at destination depends to a large extent on the work carried out at origin: packaging, wrapping, palletizing, labeling, product quality and, above all, the correct issuance of documentation (commercial invoices, phytosanitary certificates, CMRs, etc.). If these tasks start with some kind of incident or error, it is highly likely to cause delays and additional costs, reminds Alvaro Partida. “Our recommendation to exporters, carriers and importers is to share information and documentation as soon as possible to verify the documents in advance, with the objective of starting as soon as possible with the procedures for customs and customs clearance, both at the ports of exit and entry of the goods.”
The Port of Algeciras is the only one in Spain operating 7 days a week.
A very positive 2021
Last year was “very positive” for Partida Logistics. “We improved the 2020 figures, despite the difficulties we are all aware of.” And after 2 years in a row of episodes such as the epidemic, the maritime traffic crisis, rising prices for supplies, carrier strikes, Brexit and digitization by leaps and bounds (but long awaited by the sector), they are still preparing for what is to come this year. “The changes that have taken place in the logistics sector have motivated us to maintain a professional AND agile level of service by optimizing resources and training staff in each department. We continue to invest in IT to access cutting-edge work tools that help us control volume at the administrative and operational level.” The 2022 mission will be to “maintain the added value that differentiates us and sustain sustainable competitive advantages”.
Fito’ certificate for UK
After being postponed twice (it was due to come into force in April 2021, and then postponed to January 1, 2022), it seems that finally the phytosanitary certificate for exporting fruit and vegetables from the EU to the UK will start to apply on July 1, 2022. Are companies already prepared for this new procedure? Alvaro Partida has doubts. “We’ll see what happens between now and July. The companies are prepared, but the agencies are not.” He assures that, at present, Spain does not have the necessary personnel or the schedules required for the constant exports to the UK. “There are few Fito offices in Spain operating on weekends and holidays. What will happen? Will the trucks stop from Friday afternoon until Monday when the inspectors come in and have to process dozens of pending requests?” Partida recalls that the Phyto Certificate will come into force at the request of the purchasing country, the United Kingdom. And he asks: “Should Spain be responsible for the additional cost that this processing will generate in order not to stop shipments of fruit and vegetable goods to the UK? It is a very delicate problem that must be addressed as soon as possible, because time goes by and there is no protocol to follow for us, the Customs Agents who process the Certificates and coordinate the physical inspections.”
Published in Fruit Today
