Cold storage pilot set to cut farm waste
Published:Wednesday | February 2, 2022 | 12:07 AM
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries wants to hire a consultant or firm to set up a cold storage facility as a test case for reducing losses of fruits and vegetables on small farms, where around 30 per cent of perishables go to waste.
“The financial losses of small Jamaican farmers will continue to increase without adequate mitigation and prevention methods. Therefore, the development of a reliable and efficient cold chain will not only reduce crop losses, but this also means that farmers are not forced to sell harvest produce immediately if there is a glut and prices are low,” the ministry said in its request for bids.
Bidders have until February 8 to submit expressions of interest in the consultancy.
Last year, the ministry set aside $157 million to set up cold storage units for farm produce to end wastage in the sector. The move to hire the consultant for the pilot forms part of that drive.
The ministry said the cold storage facilities would also maintain optimal temperatures throughout storage via continuous monitoring with sensors. They include “infrastructure and resources” used to achieve and maintain cooling that preserves the quality of foodstuffs throughout their shelf lives, from production to consumption, it added.
Production of fruits and vegetables have vacillated since the pandemic. The Economic and Social Survey Jamaica puts annual production of vegetables, just prior to the pandemic, at 242,000 tonnes, oranges at 72,000 tonnes, bananas at 64,000 tonnes, and other small fruits at 64,000 tonnes.
“Even before the extreme events of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of cold chain facilities in Jamaica caused up to 30 per cent of the perishable fruits and vegetables that were harvested to be lost. These food losses increase differences in prices between farmers and consumers, and reduce the accessibility of products for consumers and the profitability for farmers,” the bid document noted.
The storage facilities are aimed at ultimately stimulating production. The projects falls within Jamaica’s broad food security programme.
“This will reduce the precariousness of farming and crop prices, increasing the efficiency of the food supply chain, and stimulating increased production, thereby leading to greater food security for the country,” the agriculture ministry added.