Maersk delivers first end-to-end shipment of 14 MT green chillies from Varanasi to Dubai

January 15, 2020: Maersk successfully delivered its first end-to-end shipment in India of freshly produced green chillies from Varanasi to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in nine days.

The company worked closely with Agricultural and Processed Food Exports Development Authority (APEDA), the apex organization responsible for the export promotion of agricultural products, to enable trade opportunities in the state via land & sea routes with its end-to-end cold-chain logistics solutions.

Steve Felder, managing director, Maersk South Asia, said “Our initiative to take local produce to the global market is in-line with our aim to be a global integrator of container logistics connecting and simplifying trade for the farmers & entrepreneurs across the region.”

Varanasi – Dubai journey

Throughout the journey from Varanasi to Jebel Ali, leveraging the Remote Container Management (RCM) technology, the temperature of the cargo was accurately maintained at the temperature recommended by the reefer expert with proper tracking of the container movement and spot-on co-ordination with various stakeholders involved in the project. Sensing the tight schedule of the shipment cycle due to short shelf-life of fresh produce & non-availability of export-quality packing material at Varanasi, Maersk ensured the deployment of an additional driver for inland transportation. The shipment was flagged-off by Paban Kumar Borthakur, Chairman, APEDA

Varanasi Region

The eastern part of Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi region) comprising of 5 districts – Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur & Sant Ravidas Nagar which are some of the top producers of fresh fruits & vegetables, such as green chillies, okra, bitter gourd, green peas, brinjal, mango, guava etc. present an immense opportunity for the farmers and entrepreneurs in and around the region to boost its agro-exports.

Agri-export hubs

Considering these enormous trade prospects offered by the region, APEDA is in the process of setting up Agri-export hubs in these districts along with soon-to-be set up project office to fast-track the co-ordination & facilitation of all activities.

Uttar Pradesh

The economy of Uttar Pradesh is predominantly agrarian and performance of agriculture and allied activities such as horticulture, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries are critical in determining the growth rate of the state. Additionally, due to its favourable climatic and geographical conditions, the agricultural produce from the state especially Varanasi region enjoys a preferred demand in the global market which is the reason the government has plans to make it an export trade hub.