Southampton docks' hectic Canary Islands season is now underway with thousands of tons of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers pouring into the port every week.

From now until next June two ships a week will be calling at Southampton following the three-and-a-half-day voyage from Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

A total of 56 staff from Neptune Stevedoring Services at the Western Docks terminal will be employed in the operation of off-loading the 2,700 pallets of produce which each ship brings in to Southampton.

"More than 50 per cent of the ship's cargo will be moved through the terminal and away to distribution centres and direct to supermarkets on the day the vessel arrives alongside the berth,'' said Brian Russell-Taylor, Neptune's managing director.

"At the really busy times, around Christmas and Easter, that figure will go up to 75 per cent.''

The ships, which also regularly call at Rotterdam in the Netherlands, are usually unloaded and underway again within 12 hours of arrival in Southampton docks.

The Southampton facility is probably the biggest terminal of its kind anywhere in the UK for handling this type of cargo.

Picture shows; Brian Russell-Taylor with some of the Canary Island cargo at the fruit terminal at Southampton Docks.

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