A Carrier Transicold solution has helped a well-known farm in Rwanda cut its product loss to nearly zero per cent.
The global transport refrigeration company has improved Kigali Farms cold chain reducing food loss and saved it approximately $100,000 in operating costs with a Supra 750 truck refrigeration unit.
Kigali Farms started growing oyster mushrooms in 2010 to provide sustainable income opportunities for small-scale farmers in Rwanda, help fight malnutrition and create local jobs. The business later expanded to produce button mushrooms that are packaged and shipped to Kenya.
Mushrooms are highly perishable and require constant temperature control during transport. Kigali Farms initially faced challenges with inconsistent results from various third-party transporters.
“When we began shipping our button mushrooms to Nairobi using third-party transporters, we observed irregular temperature logs in the refrigerated compartment and unreliable product quality, resulting in significant losses upon arrival,” said the Founder and CEO of Kigali Farms, Laurent Demuynck. “The lack of control over the cold chain resulted in 20 per cent product loss and ultimately put the business at risk.”
To overcome this, Kigali Farms invested in its own refrigerated truck equipped with Carrier Transicold’s Supra 750 unit, which offers constant evaporation airflow for controlled humidity, a robust design, high reliability and high-cooling performance.
Developed for distribution environments with multiple door openings, the Supra 750 offers cold chain continuity – a necessity during mushroom loading and unloading operations, and during custom controls at border crossings.
“It was satisfying for our team to work closely with Kigali Farms and see the immediate impact on its business,” said Carrier Transicold Managing Director, External Distribution, EMEA and Southeast Asia, Vincent Blaising. “As a cold chain specialist, Carrier Transicold understands that fresh isn’t simply a question of how long cargo is transported, but the conditions in which it is transported.”
Rather than being lost in transit, fresh, nutritious mushrooms could now be delivered to East African supermarkets and outlets, reducing food waste, supporting sustainability and encouraging increased agricultural diversity. Today, the truck continues to operate in Nairobi delivering various types of perishables before returning to Kigali with fruit or third-party goods.
“The profits we are able to make from the return trip with other goods pays for the costs of operating our own truck, so our transportation costs went from $100,000 a year to zero dollars a year,” said Demuynck.
In other news, transport and logistics company, Kuehne+Nagel, has reflected on its financial performance and efficiency gains.
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