P350-M cold storage facility to open in Negros Occidental

Sapporo Ice and Cold Storage facility’s mechanical and refrigeration system

Czark Mak Corp. (CZM) Group of Companies will open for commercial operations its P350-million state-of-the art cold storage facility and ice plant in Murcia, Negros Occidental by the third week of July.

In a statement, CZM said the investment, made through subsidiary Sapporo Ice and Cold Storage Company Inc., would also cover the solar power facility real estate and dry warehouses.

CZM is a Filipino-owned holding company engaged in real estate, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, agribusiness, food and hospitality, and technology.

The construction of the cold storage facility is nearly completed and will be ready for its scheduled opening by the third week of July, according to the statement.

It will have a capacity of 1728 pallet positions, with five frozen rooms, two chiller rooms, and two blast freezing rooms. The facility, which has been approved by the Board of Investment (BOI) for non-pioneer status registration, offers services that include storage rental, warehouse management, blasting services, and handling and logistics services and will cater to products such as dairy, vegetables, fruits, fishery, and poultry.

Sapporo provides both cold storage solutions for blasting and freezing. It has chillers for agricultural products not required to be stored below zero degree Celsius. Sapporo will also supply crystallized tube ice and crushed ice not only to restaurants but also to companies engaged in poultry and fisheries

Cold storage ante room

The company said it would serve the needs of agricultural producers in Murcia and other areas in the province, including Bacolod, Bago, Talisay, Silay and Don Salvador Benedicto.

CZM currently operates a cold storage facility and ice plant in Guiguinto, Bulacan through its unit, Acro Ice, as well as an ice plant and  is soon opening another cold storage in Batangas under another unit, The Service Warehouse.

According to CZM chairman and president Caesar Wongchuking,  they consider Negros as among their preferred investment areas for its cold chain portfolio as the province is primarily an agriculture area and that it has been identified by the government as one of the country’s key growth areas.

Sapporo Ice and Cold Storage Co, he said, is eyeing a Triple A classification from the National Meat Inspection Service ( NMIS) with its modern facilities and equipment.

President Marcos recently ordered the setting up of cold storage facilities at various fish ports across the country to reduce post-harvest losses, especially after the Bureau of Fisheries revealed that fish spoilage is between 25 to40 percent due to lack of facilities like cold storage warehouses.

Wongchuking said they were in talks with local government units in some target areas with regards to providing cold storage solutions to lower mortalities and losses.

The CZM group is present in Iloilo, Murcia, Malolos in Bulacan and Batangas City for its cold chain business, and it is looking at future sites in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Tuguegarao.