China will increase cold chain logistics in agriculture: NDRC

BEIJING expects to raise from five to 20 per cent the amount of perishable agricultural produce moved through cold chain logistics systems, says National Development and Reform Commission official Ding Jianwu.

Mr Ding said today's rate of wastage in the process of transporting and storing perishable produce is as high as 20 per cent - equivalent to the production from two million hectares of farm land.

But Mr Ding said problems remain because cold chain logistics is a sophisticated process needing co-ordination and much temperature-controlled transport and warehousing facilities which China did not have.