December 12 2006, 11:55

Produce storages will be the main investment point in the produce sector 2007

There is a real boom of produce storage construction in Ukraine. Nearly each medium and large city of Ukraine has a company which specializes in such type of construction. Both small private entrepreneurs and large companies construct storages; large players plan to spread the produce storage chain in many oblasts of Ukraine. Produce growers, wholesale companies and even retail traders invest to storage construction as well. Those companies enhance the capacities which have been already involved into storage process. The size of new storages varies much, 500 tons to 20,000 tons and more.

The experts can not evaluate the total volume of the storages of Ukraine. Such evaluation is difficult because of the absent list of the mentioned objects. And, there are lots of storage technologies; evaluating the object, the experts often doubt whether to refer the object to the storages or not.

But, we can say with a great share of assurance that the area of the modern storages annually grows by rate not less than 100-150%. These storages have refrigerating facilities installed; there is relevant heat- and gas insulation; controlled atmosphere system is also applied.

The interest to storage investment is proven by a great involvement of the participants of the third international conference "Fruits and Vegetables of Ukraine 2006. Open Market", particularly in the forum "Modern technologies of fruit and vegetable storage". During this forum the issues of storage projecting and construction, controlled atmosphere technology application, backup products were discussed, as well as other question related to fruit and vegetable storage.