The report, Global Cold Chain Logistics 2008/9, has found that supply chains in these countries are extremely under developed, particularly those for refrigerated foodstuffs. Research identifi ed that as much as 40 per cent of the dairy produce, fruit and vegetables produced in India is lost or spoilt because of poor storage, handling or transportation. Similarly the lack of cold storage in the Vietnamese seafood industry is hampering the development of the sector.
In spite of annual double digit increases in its public refrigerated warehouse (PRW) space, China, with the world’s fastest growing economy and the largest number of consumers, suff ers from a poor cold chain infrastructure. According to one of the report’s authors, Ti analyst Raphael Chalogany, most of its cold storage facilities are vastly out of date.
“Cold storage capacity in China only covers between 20-25 per cent of total output, compared to 70-80 per cent in more developed countries”, says Chalogany. “There is also a lack of refrigerated vehicles, limiting the volume of temperature sensitive goods that can be transported throughout the country”.
Third party logistics providers involved in the cold supply chain industry are also enjoying real development opportunities, as increasing numbers of companies outsource their supply chains. However, few 3PLs can claim to offer to their clients a full worldwide cold supply chain. Most transport operations tend to be nationally based with international services in just a few countries.
The report concludes that the need to reduce costs, increasing globalisation and environmental and public health issues will shape the cold supply chains of the future, leading to the further integration of top operators for the benefit of their global clients.
