The world is demanding better quality food every year, both fresh and frozen. This represents a business opportunity for refrigeration companies in a country with a leading and sophisticated food industry like Chile.
The country is recognized as an important stakeholder in the sector at a global level, where products such as fruit, salmon, mackerel and wine stand out. In the last 10 years, food exports have grown by around 25%, with returns of over US$21.4 billion during 2023.
The increase in demand for better quality foods, both fresh and frozen, presents a business opportunity for refrigeration companies, considering that the use of refrigeration and freezer equipment is key to preserving food and its nutritional quality.
Cold chain logistics operators and suppliers of technologies linked to this business segment estimate that, in the near future, the supply of storage, transportation and technologies for the logistics of frozen and refrigerated foods in Chile will continue to grow.
One of the main reasons for this is that, while Chile has a well-structured network of entry and exit points throughout the country, the absence of ports and infrastructure in important agricultural regions such as O’Higgins and Maule opens opportunities for the logistical development of cold chains that would optimize processes for food distribution and potential export, thus maintaining high quality standards.
What are the main drivers for the development of cold chain infrastructure in Chile?:
- The sustained increase in the consumption of fresh and refrigerated foods in the world, with compound annual growth rates that exceed 4%.
- The increase in the consumption of fresh and refrigerated foods in Chile.
- The sustained growth of the production and export of fresh and refrigerated foods from Chile.
- Chile’s position as a food supplier to the world, with 34 economic-trade agreements in force that integrate the country with 65 economies, reaching 88% of the world’s GDP.
- The important expansion plans of Chile’s main seaports.
- The relative deficit of cold chain infrastructure in some of the country’s productive regions.
New investments
Given this panorama, there are many companies that have announced new investments in cold chain infrastructure in Chile. In January of this year, Medlog Coldstore Chile (linked to the multinational giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company), announced that it plans to build a new cold store in the Coronel Industrial Park in the Biobío Region, with an estimated investment of US$23 million; while Emergent Cold (USA) revealed in February an aggressive expansion plan in the refrigeration sector in Chile, with an investment of US$500 million by 2026. Furthermore, in March of this year, Peru’s Ransa successfully completed the acquisition of Loginsa, one of the 10 leading logistics operators in Chile.
For the head of the Investment Promotion Division at InvestChile, Salvatore Di Giovanni, the increase in the domestic consumption of fresh and refrigerated foods is just one of the things that make Chile an attractive country for the development of cold chain infrastructure. “The global trend to access safe foods with better nutritional and organoleptic qualities, in addition to Chile’s productive export orientation, opens opportunities to supply global markets from Chile, creating opportunities for both food production and the development of the logistics chain necessary to achieve the highest standards for the consumer, optimizing the supply chain,” he stated.
%2017.11.51.png)
