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room , they have noticed a positive turn in reducing energy requirements during production time during the day .
“ The anticipation is that the quality will improve . If the cold rooms can run at their set temperatures without interruption of power being off grid , then definitely , we can maintain our produce at set temperatures . In Kakuzi ’ s case , we are talking about 5 ° C or a maximum of 6 ° C and we can achieve that without having tremendous issues . If you sustain that temperature when the fruit is in the cold room , then we expect our product to be good for the international market ,” says Migot .
Kakuzi is also focused on the development and growth of its avocado outgrower suppliers , currently sourcing from more than 3 000 smallholder farmers . The growth and expansion of its cooling capacity is assisting the integration of the increasing supply coming from these farmers . This
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has enabled the company to strengthen its corporate social responsibility as it continues to reach out to more smallholder farmers and out-growers .
Annually , Kakuzi produces an average of 350 containers , almost equivalent to 7.5 million tons of avocados for export . It aggregates , packs and exports a variety of green and black skin cultivars . Each fruit is graded , then weighed , sized , sorted and packed into cartons of 4kg , 8kg or 10kg bulk packs and placed in respective cold rooms , in preparation for shipping . After cooling , the avocados are then placed in reefer containers and are dispatched for sea freight to its European clients .
“ When we have efficient cold chain management systems , the quality of our fruit , all the way from the farm to the market will be preserved . Through this , we can sell more without any losses . For Kenyan markets , cold chain management
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is particularly important to us , especially considering that the Kenyan voyage to the market takes approximately 30 to 35 days ,” says Jonathan , the assistant general manager-horticulture at Kakuzi .
The two explain that for anyone looking to grow and expand their export business in Kenya , good and reliable cold chain models are a prerequisite . This will give sustainable temperatures from storage time to the time that they are being transported to the market . They also advised that farmers should opt for more environmentally friendly refrigerants to save on energy and costs .
In 2022 , InspiraFarms Cooling sold a cold room to support Kakuzi ’ s future growth developments with two additional cold rooms . Each of them is 130m 2 and can hold between 60 – 72 pallets at a time . The new cold rooms are currently operational and was installed and handed over in 2023 .
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ABOUT INSPIRAFARMS COOLING
InspiraFarms Cooling is a leading provider of advanced and sustainable cooling solutions , for high-value fresh produce across Africa , serving exporters , agribusinesses , third party logistics service providers and food supply chains in emerging markets . Founded in 2012 , the company has served the flower , fruit , vegetable and meat sectors , providing agribusiness in the across Africa with the tools , technology , data and expertise to significantly reduce food losses , energy costs and access higher-value markets . The company has designed its solutions ( cold rooms , packhouses , freezers , slaughterhouses and pre-coolers ) to minimise food loss , maximise shelf life , reduce OPEX and give access to cooling data . Read more about their solutions at inspirafarms . com or contact Sharon J Cheboi at scheboi @ inspirafarms . com . CLA
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REFERENCE https :// www . kakuzi . co . ke / about-us |
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The growth and expansion of its cooling capacity is assisting the integration of the increasing supply coming from these farmers . |