Pri-shipment and shipboard factors influencing the out-turn condition of fruit and vegetable consignments in international trade
Snowdon A.L.
5th International Postharvest Symposium . Volume of Abstract . Verona, Italy 6-11 June 2004, p.132
2004
บทคัดย่อ
Pri-shipment and shipboard factors influencing the out-turn condition of fruit and vegetable consignments in international trade
Information is obtained during out-turn surveys at destination (on behalf of cargo receivers, underwriters, ship-owners or charterers) or during the study of claims documentation submitted by lawyers acting for one or other of the above parties. There may also be occasion to visit the producer country. Pre-shipment factors influencing cargo quality and out-turn condition include the health status of seed or planting material, weather during the growing season, crop husbandry, harvesting and handling techniques, post-harvest treatments, pre-cooling, packaging, and carriage instructions written by the shipper/exporter. Shipboard factors include design and function of the equipment, method of stowage, interpretation of carriage instructions, and duration of loading, voyage and discharge. For container shipments, which now account for more than 50% of the total tonnage of transported perishables, it is the shipper’s responsibility to “stuff” the container in an appropriate manner; the container operator accepts the closed box and undertakes to supply refrigeration and/or ventilation in accordance with the shipper’s instructions. Case studies include Argentine pears to Italy, New Zealand onions to UK, Chinese garlic to the Nerherlands, Egyptian potatoes to Germany, Chilean kiwifruit to the US and northern Europe, Casta Rican and Jamaican bananas to UK, and Ecuadorian Bananas of Ukraine. Such cases demonstrate that serious deterioration is usually the result of a combination of adverse factors. Examples are inadequate pre-cooling, inappropriate carriage instructions, and failure to appreciate that stowage of palletised cargo is more critical than stowage of individual boxed, requiring careful attention if short-circuiting of air is to be avoided. There is now more awareness of the risk of interaction between cargoes (e.g. ethylene-sensitive kiwifruit affected by emanations from apples), but a lack of understanding of the folly of excessive fresh air intake into refrigerated space.