Source: Drewry Shipping Consultants (2010), Reefer Shipping Market
2010/11, Drewry Publishing, London.Seaborne Reefer Trade, 2008A 40-foot reefer costs in the range of $30,000 while a regular
container costs $5,000. The main reefer commodity groups are divided into living and
non-living cargo. Bananas, exotics (pineapples, kiwifruit,
avocados), deciduous (apples, grapes, pears) and citrus (oranges,
lemons/limes, grapefruit, others) are a part of the living group.
The non-living commodities concerns fish/seafood and meat (poultry,
pork, beef/veal, sheep meat). The diary (cheese/curd, butter)
and others group (tomatoes, frozen potatoes, berries,
melons, frozen vegetables, fresh vegetables) contain living and
non-living commodities.Making the distinction between the living and the non-living is
of vital importance for the transport mode because of the
distinction in temperature setup and atmosphere control. Living
commodities will be transported under refrigerated conditions with a
limited lifespan (shelf life), non-living commodities can be frozen,
resulting in a longer lifespan. Out of the 156.9 million tons of
worldwide reefer trade in 2009, it is estimated that 54% was
seaborne, although the percentage varies significantly by commodity.
