Port of Rotterdam is the largest fresh port in Europe, with an annual turnover of 19 million tonnes of agrifood products. And the share of these fresh products is growing too. So how important is the port of Rotterdam for the ocean shipping of horticultural products?
The port of Rotterdam processes 15 million containers annually, 13 percent of which are refrigerated containers, referred to as ‘reefers’. Forty-six percent of these reefers contain fruits and vegetables, and 54 percent carry meat, fish and dairy products, says Anne Saris, Business Manager Agrofood and Distribution at Port of Rotterdam.
A look at the database tells us that a substantial number of reefers of cut flowers, plants, parent material and foliage enter and leave the port: imports amount to 15,000 TEUs – a TEU being a container of 6.10 m long, 2.44 m wide and 2.59 m high – and exports to 24,000 TEUs. The export of horticultural products mainly concerns flower bulbs. Imports mainly consist of foliage and parent material from Costa Rica.
