China's cold chain infrastructure is still fragmented, under-funded, and scrambling to keep up with soaring demand, reports the China Supply Chain Council.
Basic packaging of fruits and vegetables is low quality and results in a high decay rate during transportation. Only 10% of the trucks have refrigerators or freezers. Many are vans packed with ice!
Companies wishing to do business in China are struggling to find third-party logistics providers, often forcing them to handle their own logistics. This suggests there is a lucrative opportunity to set up shop in China for shippers of any perishable goods, pharmaceuticals in particular, says the report.
A cold chain workshop to address these issues was scheduled for October this year in Shanghai, to be followed by a Cold Chain Summit in the spring of 2007.
-- By Jim Chrzan, Publisher, Healthcare Packaging
