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Bidcorp holding buffer stock to offset shipping disturbances

South African food services company Bid Corporation (Bidcorp) is stocking buffer inventory to assist offset hold-ups caused by disruption to Red Sea shipping and congestion at regional ports, its chief executive stated.

The company reported an 18.6% dive in half-year heading profits per share on Wednesday while its net earnings grew 24%. to 113.8 billion rand ($ 6 billion).

South Africa-based Bidcorp has operations across Europe,. Australasia and emerging markets like Middle East and China.

It's a broad spectrum of items that we move from Europe. to the rest of the world, CEO Bernard Berson told ,. adding that diverting cargo ships was leading to shipment. hold-ups of a few weeks.

The effect is that shipping expenses are higher but they're. When there was a shortage scarcity vessels and coming out of, nowhere close to what they were throughout the disturbances we had actually a. year ago. COVID, which was much more serious than this.

Bidcorp is stocking buffer stock to help alleviate the. effect.

South African port blockage owing to infrastructure decay. and bad weather is extending lead times by potentially months,. Berson said.

In action the company is sourcing alternative products for. its clients where possible but the significant problem is sourcing. raw materials which are only imported from specific nations. such as components used for separating casein, he included.

(source: Reuters)