Panalpina adds three agents to Perishables Network

Three long-standing agents of Panalpina in Asia and the Americas are becoming full members of the company’s Perishables Network. Nominated for their outstanding record following years of cooperation and a thorough vetting process, Cropa (Guatemala and Honduras), MIT Cargo (Sri Lanka) and TML (Pakistan) reached a respective agreement during Fruit Logistica 2018 in Berlin to intensify their cooperation with Panalpina in order to create new end-to-end solutions for customers and expand the perishables business.

By working more closely with its agents Panalpina aims to develop consistent standards for perishables logistics across the world. “In the perishables industry, shippers and local forwarders have traditionally followed their own practices. By working more closely together with our agents, we can establish our own standard and create a reliable and uniform environment for our customer where they enjoy the same experience wherever they may be,” explains Colin Wells, global head of Perishables at Panalpina.

As infrastructure and production techniques for fresh produce improve in many origin countries, new transport routes and equipment, better packaging and more varied products can also drive market opportunities for Panalpina’s agents. “For the new member agents, our Perishables Network is a door opener for the global market. Together we can create new end-to-end solutions for their customers and expand the perishables business,” says Marco Spiess, global agent relations manager at Panalpina.

Guatemala and Honduras

Panalpina's agent in Central America since 1985, Cropa has offices in Guatemala and Honduras, an extended portfolio of perishables services and a complete warehousing structure in El Salvador. The number one perishable export from is bananas. Others include snow peas, berries, baby vegetables, asparagus, melon, mangoes, limes, shrimp, and pineapples.

Sri Lanka

MIT Cargo has been Panalpina’s agent in Sri Lanka since 1988. Its perishables operations include 24/7 temperature-controlled warehousing facilities at the Air Cargo Village within Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. Sri Lanka’s top perishable exports are fruits and vegetables, fish, seafood, foliage, and cut flowers.

Pakistan

Operating out of Karachi, Pakistan, TML has been Panalpina’s agent since 2012. TML has state-of-the-art reefer equipment backed by an experienced team offering expert handling and tailored multi-modal year-round transportation of fresh and frozen goods. Pakistan’s top perishables exports by air are mangoes, vegetables, meat, and seafood. By ocean these also include seafood, as well as mandarins, potatoes, and onions.

Panalpina plans to add more agents to the Perishables Network throughout 2018, especially in Africa.