Maersk Activates New Cold Chain Center in Peru to Serve Avocado, Blueberry, and Mango Exports
According to Maersk's official website, Maersk has officially launched its new packaging and cold chain logistics center in Olmos, Peru, ensuring rapid and fresh transportation from farm to port to meet Peru's growing fruit export demand.
As introduced, the logistics center is located in the core of Peru's northern agricultural corridor, with an advantageous geographical position. Equipped with packaging, sorting, and refrigeration centers, it is expected to process over 10,000 tons of fruit in its first year. Olmos, located in the Lambayeque region, has quickly become one of Peru's most dynamic agricultural areas. Data from Peru's National Institute of Statistics and Information (INEI) shows that Lambayeque is currently the largest fruit export region in Peru. In 2024, Peru's fruit exports experienced strong growth, with blueberry exports increasing by 35.7% and avocado exports growing by 29.2%.
According to the introduction, the center can process 38 tons of avocados and mangoes, and 4.5 tons of blueberries per hour. The controlled atmosphere storage has over 4,600 rooms and two finished product storage rooms, with a total capacity of 2,088 pallets. Seven rapid cooling tunnels, each with 18 cooling positions, ensure blueberry freshness. The facility is equipped with a pre-cooling system specifically designed for blueberries, a critical post-harvest step that helps quickly reduce fruit temperature, extend shelf life, and maintain fruit quality during transportation.
The center is adjacent to major plantations, integrating key logistics functions such as processing, refrigeration, and yard storage, seamlessly connecting to Maersk's global end-to-end supply chain network. Additionally, the center offers container yard operations, inland refrigerated transportation, and origin customs processing services.
The facility covers 17,500 square meters and is the first of its kind in northern Peru, providing end-to-end cold chain services from harvest to export. It primarily handles the post-harvest process for three main export fruits—avocados, blueberries, and mangoes—covering the entire process from field picking and processing to packaging, refrigeration, and final port shipment. Furthermore, it can provide refrigeration services for packaged agricultural products like grapes, flexibly responding to various seasonal fruit exports.
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