Del Monte extends lease with Port Manatee for up to 20 years

The Manatee County Port Authority has approved Port Manatee’s lease extension with Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc., which could keep produce coming through the port until 2036.

“This guarantees us that they will remain in the port continuing to be a significant job generator for the county as well as the region,” Port Manatee Executive Director Carlos Buqueras said Thursday.

Del Monte has done business with Port Manatee since 1989. The lease extension’s initial term keeps produce such as bananas and pineapples coming until Aug. 30, 2021, with three five-year renewal options.

“They’ve been a great partner for us,” said Betsy Benac, chair of the Manatee County Port Authority. “It’s great to see the Del Monte plant, the Del Monte ships and the people that work there. The produce they bring into this area is always welcome.”

Del Monte prides itself on being the world’s No. 1 fresh pineapple marketer and deploys refrigerated vessels to import bananas and pineapples from Central America via containers and pallets, according to a Port Manatee release. Export cargo includes liner board that is used for packaging, as well as various third-party containers and project cargos.

“The cooperation with Port Manatee is exceptional and has been vital to the growth of our business at Port Manatee,” Brian Giuliani, Del Monte’s Port Manatee-based port manager, said in the release.

Del Monte has moved 8.7 million short tons of cargo through Port Manatee since 1989, according to the release. Del Monte’s Southeast distribution center at Port Manatee is now the company’s second-largest U.S. facility. According to the port’s 2015 comprehensive annual financial report, Del Monte is Port Manatee’s top customer. The company paid the port more than $1.2 million in 2015 and represented 14 percent of total billings.

The Manatee County Port Authority and port staff also addressed Zika concerns at its meeting Thursday.

“There was some concern in the Miami area about the potential for mosquitos to come via ships,” Benac said. Upon further exploration, she discovered the type of mosquito that carries the Zika virus, Aedes aegypti, doesn’t typically survive long journeys. She described Aedes aegypti as a “very localized” mosquito.

The Aedes aegypti female carries the virus. The species lives in tropical, subtropical and some temperate climates and females usually fly an average of 400 meters during their lifetime.

“This means that people, rather than mosquitoes, rapidly move the virus within and between communities and places,” according to a World Health Organization webpage.

Dave Sanford, deputy executive director, said port staff has talked with the Florida Department of Health, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to share information and evaluate the possibility of Zika coming in to Manatee County through the port.

“What we’ve determined so far is there’s a very low risk on the cargo side,” Sanford said.

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Del Monte extends lease with Port Manatee for up to 20 years."