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JurnalPost.com – Using cold storage to suppress inflation is a visionary move by the government of Payakumbuh City. According to data from the West Sumatra BPS last August, the inflation rate was 2.22% and was included in the top 10 nationally with high inflation in the mid-year. The commodities that contributed to inflation were agricultural commodities related to their unique characteristics.
According to the agro-industry perspective, the characteristics of farming commodities are easily damaged (perishable), seasonal commodities, bulky, or taking up space for transporting and distributing. These characteristics cause agricultural commodities to be easily damaged. When they are not in their prime condition after not well-handling harvest or transportation, their prices fall or become waste. Therefore, technology such as cold storage is necessary to provide added value to these commodities.
Japan has used cold storage for 40 years to store and distribute agricultural commodities. Cold storage is a significant component of the supply chain and distribution of fresh and frozen products from their agro-industry, including dairy and meat products. The goal is to maintain the quality and stabilize the supply of agricultural commodities and other agro-industrial products.
What is Cold Storage?
Cold storage is a large container refrigerator or a particular refrigerated room. The temperature inside this storage varies depending on the use and type, ranging from 8℃ to -25℃. During storage, low temperatures or even freezing inhibit the activity of rotting microbes so that the stored commodities can be stored for a long time.
This sizeable cooling device will help with inflation and overcome low prices of agricultural commodities when the main harvest arrives. Products can be stored and distributed later during the harvest period to prevent prices from falling. In other words, using technology such as cold storage can reduce waste by taking and storing harvest excess. Moreover, it supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reducing half of the harvest waste at the production stage and during distribution, including post-harvest losses in 2030. Cold storage is also helpful for farmers during natural disasters, weather changes, or damaged roads. When earthquakes and other natural disasters occur, agricultural commodities can be distributed during harvest.
Essential Points in Using Cold Storage
Things to consider when storing agricultural commodities in cold storage are the management of the use of the FIFO (first in, first out) system; the goods that come in first also come out first. The FIFO system ensures that no products are stored for too long. When the product comes in, the entry date must be recorded and used first.
Temperature is the next thing to consider when using cold storage. Some fresh agricultural commodities, such as tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers, can be damaged if stored at certain lower temperatures. These vegetables and fruits experience cold damage or chilling injury if stored at temperatures below 7 ℃. Products and commodities easily damaged by cold should be separated. Raw products from livestock, such as meat and chicken, should also be separated from vegetables and fruits because they require different temperatures and reduce the risk of product contamination.
In conclusion, cold storage is the right technology as a buffer to secure the price and supply of agricultural commodities. Hopefully, farmers will also get a more reasonable price if cold storage is used in more areas.
Resources:
Kementerian Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional/ Bapenas. 2021. Laporan Kajian Food Loss and Waste di Indonesia.
Humas Pemko Payakumbuh. 2024. Pemko Payakumbuh dorong pemanfaatan cold storage.
Writer:
Vioni Derosya, Ph.D
Assistant Professor Lab. Agro-industrial Environment, Dept. Agro-industrial Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Andalas
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