New Cold-Storage Technology Helps Farmers Avoid ‘Bumper Crop Poverty’

SAGA, Jan 18 (News On Japan) - A logistics company based in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, a key transport hub in Kyushu, has developed a massive high-performance refrigerated warehouse in-house, using advanced technology to extend the freshness of vegetables and fruit and help farmers avoid the income squeeze known as “bumper crop poverty.”

Fukuoka Sonoriku says its system removes ethylene gas, a major cause of deterioration in produce, allowing cabbage to stay fresh for around 50 days and muscat grapes for as long as four months.

By storing crops until market prices recover, the company aims to prevent farmers from being forced to sell at a loss during periods of oversupply, helping stabilize earnings even when harvests are strong.

Leveraging its long-term storage capability, the firm has also secured fixed-rate transactions with major distribution companies, expanding beyond a traditional logistics role and evolving into a supplier with trading-house functions.

The company says sales have grown 2.5 times over the past eight years, and it plans to expand nationwide through mergers and acquisitions, positioning itself as a future “Amazon of agricultural products.”

Source: Television OSAKA NEWS

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