The economics of controlled atmosphere storage and transport for nectarines, apples and kiwifruit

Abstract

Technical change affecting agriculture and horticulture is not limited to production techniques and systems. Change in the harvesting, packaging, storage and transport activities, or the physical distribution processes, are important, not only to hold down costs, but also to enhance the presentation and quality of the final consumer product. Controlled atmosphere transport and storage is a technology that could have important implications for New Zealand horticultural producers. This is so particularly with respect to the exploitation of new markets and the likelihood of increasingly severe constraints on air cargo space out of New Zealand. This report gives an economic evaluation of controlled atmosphere storage and transport for three horticultural products: nectarines, apples and kiwifruit. The fruit have different markets and marketing systems and hence the potential role of controlled atmosphere technology varies.