Fresh out of Africa

The annual production of fruit and vegetables in Burkina-Faso is estimated at over 300 000 tonnes. It encompasses more than 30 000 producers and 25-30 km² of market garden produce and 120 km² of orchards. The official opening of the SOBFEL, the Burkina-Faso Society for fruit and vegetables, cold store took place on November 24, 2005 in the freight area of the international airport of Ouagadougou. Three of the five cold stores, with a storage capacity of 587 m3, the equivalent of 45 tonnes of green beans, were renovated in line with the government's concern over meeting international standards. Two of the cold stores have an above-zero refrigeration system whereby the temperature cannot fall below 0°C. The third store has a sub-zero refrigeration system whereby temperatures can be set as low as -5°C. The floor of all three stores is covered with an Epoxy resin in line with international standards assuring the transport of products and their freshness and the capacity to export 3 000 tonnes of produce per month.