DREWRY in London says that perishable refrigerated goods transported by sea freight have grown at an annual rate of 3.9 per cent, from 36.4 million tons in 2001 to 90.9 million tons in 2011.

Drewry Maritime Research predicts continued growth in perishable reefer cargo for 2012, and said "beyond that, population growth levels and GDP levels will see trade increase at an average rate of over four per cent a year to 2016," reports American Shipper.

 According to Drewry' s annual Reefer Shipping Market Review and Forecast, the highest growth has been in the meat category in terms of tonnage, which rose from 21.4 million tons in 2001 to 35.9 million tons in 2011.

 Worldwide trade of bananas and plantains has increased from 13.2 million tons in 2001 to 15.7 million tons. Following three straight years of falling volume, the banana trade rose by almost 10 per cent in 2011.

 Analysts said the fleet of specialised breakbulk reefer ships has shrunk by 234 vessels with 81 million cubic feet of capacity in the last decade, with the majority of the trade now transported in reefer containers. During 2010 and 2011 a total of 77 vessels with 28.2 million cubic feet of capacity were scrapped.

(Source:seatrade asia news)