For the first time ever, Namibia’s is exporting tons of blueberries. This has become possible because the fruit, marketed under the Namib Blue brand name, is grown next to Okavango River at Mashare Berries Farming while the challenging transportation to their export destinations in Europe is handled by Transworld Cargo, another Namibian company.
Mashare Berries Farming passed the 100-ton mark on 6 October 2020, which was during their first year of production. The first seven tons were loaded on a Eurowing Airbus A330 on 21 September 2020 and reached Frankfurt the next day. More shipments of the sought-after berries followed and have found their way into the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Russia and even Hong Kong. According to Mashare Berries Farming, more berries than expected have also been sold locally.
Once harvested, the blue berries have to reach the cold storage within half an hour, where they are cooled down to a few degrees Celsius. The fruit is then quickly packed and sorted in cool rooms at very low temperatures.
Strict health regulations are followed at Mashare Berries Farming. Every employee has to wash and sanitise their hands every morning before starting work. All equipment has to be washed before being used and the wearing of face masks on the fields and in the packing facility is adhered to particularly during these Covid-19 times.
Source: neweralive.na