Across South Africa, small-scale farmers play a vital role in supplying fresh produce to local markets, informal traders, cooperatives and community feeding schemes. Yet despite their contribution, one of the biggest challenges these farmers face is preventing post-harvest losses. Without reliable cold storage, fruits and vegetables begin to deteriorate within hours of being harvested — long before they reach buyers.
Temperature control is not just a luxury used by large commercial farms. For smaller growers, it can be the difference between selling produce at its best or losing a significant portion of it before market day even arrives. Fortunately, modern cold-storage options are becoming far more accessible, flexible and affordable than they once were.
Fresh produce is highly sensitive to heat. After harvest, fruits and vegetables continue to respire, soften and lose moisture. In warm climates or during summer heatwaves, the rate of deterioration increases dramatically.
For farmers working on thin margins, even a small percentage of spoilage cuts deeply into income.
By cooling produce soon after harvest, farmers can slow down deterioration significantly, extend freshness and maintain the quality buyers expect. Proper storage also allows them to plan better, hold stock for upcoming market days and reduce the pressure of harvesting everything at once.
Traditional cold rooms and brick-and-mortar storage facilities are expensive to build and maintain. They require permanent infrastructure, electrical installation and ongoing servicing - barriers that are often out of reach for small-scale operations.
Containerised cold storage, however, offers a practical alternative.
Refrigerated containers (reefers) provide reliable, mobile, temperature-controlled environments designed to preserve perishable goods. They arrive fully built, ready to plug in and can be placed directly on the farm without major alterations or construction.
Farmers can rent reefers only during peak harvest seasons, avoiding the cost of long-term ownership when they don’t need the unit year-round.
Reefers are delivered ready to run - no building work, no complex installation and no delays.
Set and maintain the exact temperature needed for fruits, vegetables, dairy products or other sensitive items.
A reefer can be placed anywhere on the farm: next to the packhouse, near a collection point or close to the fields.
By preserving quality, farmers can sell more of what they produce and command better prices.
South Africa’s small-scale farming community is incredibly diverse, ranging from emerging vegetable growers to family-run fruit operations, mixed farms and community cooperatives. Many of these farmers serve local markets, where freshness and quality directly influence sales.
Cold storage helps level the playing field. When farmers can maintain the quality of their produce after harvest, they gain:
It also opens the door to supplying retailers, restaurants and processors who require cold-chain compliance - opportunities that may not be possible without proper storage.
With nearly 40 years of experience in supplying container-based solutions, Almar Container Group provides reliable cold-storage options designed to meet the realities of South African agriculture.
Our refrigerated containers are available for flexible rental or purchase, depending on each farmer’s needs and budget. Because we work closely with our customers, we take time to understand their operational pressures and help determine the most practical and cost-effective setup.
Many small-scale farmers choose seasonal rentals during harvest, while others opt for long-term use to support packing facilities or year-round produce lines.
Regardless of the scale of the operation, our focus is simple: partnering with farmers to find solutions that protect their hard-earned produce and reduce waste.
