When your peak citrus season occurs annually between November to March, time is of the essence to get your product to market. Last year, CMA CGM turned to CN to successfully move approximately 27,000 tons of Moroccan citrus from Tangier, Morocco, directly to key Canadian consumer markets in just 10-11 days. This was an improvement over its previous arrangement to a U.S. east coast port where the fruit had to be trucked into Canada.
The supply chain solution involved loading the Moroccan citrus into CMA CGM reefer containers leaving by vessel from the Port of Tangier to the Port of Halifax.
From there, the cargo was unloaded directly from the vessel onto trains departing the same day for consumer markets in Montreal and Toronto. Sensitive citrus fruit, which includes oranges and clementines, is kept at 3C along the inland journey thanks to CN’s industry-leading Temperature Controlled Cargo service.
By using state-of-the-art equipment and temperature-monitoring technology, CN’s IntelliGEN™ genset fleet manages the flow of electric power to the reefer containers while in transit to ensure that products reach their destination safely, on time, and at the right temperature.
This tailored solution was the result of close collaboration between CMA CGM, the port operator, PSA Halifax, and the CN team, who worked together to coordinate the operating plan and timely execution of cargo movement safely and efficiently. This specialized product has considerably enhanced the shelf life of these sensitive commodities while mitigating greenhouse emissions through movement by rail instead of truck, as rail is approximately four times more fuel efficient.
“It has been a fantastic collaboration,” says Thiago Campos, General Manager, CMA CGM. “We had a short time frame in which to work but the full support of the CN team and PSA Halifax meant we could deliver the freshest produce possible to consumers and always ensure a quality product.”
With end-to-end visibility, CN delivers temperature-sensitive goods safely to market. Contact our sales team to learn more.
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