UNITRANS SHARES TOP LOGISTICS AWARD WITH MOZAMBIQUE CLIENT

The remote and undeveloped regions of Mozambique may hardly seem the place to spawn an award-winning logistics relationship. That is just what has happened however, and it has been recognised with a gold award at the recent Logistics Achievers Awards (LAA). The winners jointly are Unitrans Supply Chain Services and Acucareira de Mozambique (ADM), Tongaat-Hulett Sugar’s registered company in Mozambique.

Perhaps, however, it is the disadvantaged Mafambisse region in Sofala province – where thousands of sugar industry jobs have been created – which is really the big winner. The long term sustainability of the ADM Mafambisse operation has recently been enhanced by an ongoing expansion project which is seeing some 2 400 new hectares coming under sugarcane cultivation at nearby Lamego. The growth project is expected to increase the Mafambisse mill’s sugar output by about 30 000 tons annually.

The Unitrans logistics package was recently augmented with the negotiation of a new contract under which ADM assigned to Unitrans new responsibilities. This expanded partnership is evident on the estate where Unitrans tractor units transport agricultural personnel to and from the fields as well as seed cane, fertiliser, and herbicides. This cooperation is evident elsewhere too with Unitrans performing all land preparation, ploughing regimes and strategic earthworks, as well as road and canal maintenance.

 Turning available land to production

A Unitrans land prep unit working a new field, soon to be planted to sugarcane, at Lamego near Mafambisse in Central Moçambique. The cane will then be loaded and transported to the ADM Mafambisse mill by Unitrans vehicles. Field preparation and high volume sugarcane logistics are part of Unitrans’ range of agricultural services now in place on sugar estates in a number of Sub Saharan African countries.

Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture General Manager – Africa, Guy Prinsloo says, “In consideration of our new larger role, the estate automotive workshop has been transferred over to us and we have hired existing estate staff up to the level of our requirements. We have been able to reduce our sugarcane loading and haulage rates because our contract has been extended over a longer period and because we are now able to rationalise our fixed expenses over a broader line-up of services. In addition, our open book approach brings a lot of transparency into our client relations and makes for a stronger business relationship.”

Unitrans’ expanded services package at Mafambisse illustrates the noteworthy role that the company’s logistics specialists are playing in the development of Africa’s commercial agriculture. This occurs not only through direct investment but through skills transfer and employment equity initiatives. Other estates where Unitrans provides bundled agricultural logistics packages include Xinavane in Mozambique and Tambankulu in Swaziland, both Tongaat-Hulett operations, as well as Maragra in Mozambique, Nchalo and Dwangwa in Malawi and Kilombero in Tanzania – estates where Illovo Sugar is the key operational partner. Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture, a division of Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions, is also active in African forestry with logistics operations in South Africa and Swaziland where clients include such companies as Mondi and Sappi.

Award-winning Logistics Relationship Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture Business Development Manager Tim Maxwell accepts the gold 2007 Logistics Achievers Award, won jointly by Unitrans and their client, ADM Mafambisse, Tongaat-Hulett’s Mozambican registered company. The Gold LAA honour was earned “for excellence in logistics in development and optimisation of an integrated logistics partnership.”