Insufficient cold chains in Ukraine

Statistics show that around 50-60% of fruit and vegetables harvested in Ukraine are lost due to insufficient logistics and cold chains.
Statistics show that around 50-60% of fruit and vegetables harvested in Ukraine are lost due to insufficient logistics and cold chains.
A 2011 study commissioned by the US-funded Local Investment and Competitiveness Project claims that 30-35% is lost because of poor post-harvest treatment, 10% of what is left is then lost along the cold chain and another 25-30% of what has been spared is lost in the last segments of the supply chain.
According to Agroinvest, a US-funded project, many vehicles aren’t equipped with cooling systems and the chilling process is often disrupted by drivers turning the equipment off in order to save fuel. The problem is worsened by poor roads, sorting and calibration.
The Ukrainian Agriculture Minister, Mykola Prysyazhnyuk, has pledged that Ukraine will build a new network of refrigerated warehouses for produce in the coming years.
The Agroinvest project estimates that USD 2 billion is required to replace existing cold-storage facilities. Newly constructed warehouses have started appearing in recent years, generally in the vicinity of the capital, and large foreign retailers are setting up their own warehouses and logistics networks.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Cold Chain Association (UCCA) is encouraging the creation of national standards and a national network through coordination of the various stakeholders involved.