COLD STORAGE FOR AGRICULTURE
Cold Rooms for Farms & Agricultural Operations
Reliable cold storage helps agricultural producers protect temperature-sensitive products from the farm through to packing, storage and distribution.
Africhill designs and manufactures commercial and industrial cold rooms, freezer rooms and refrigeration systems for farms, packhouses and agricultural operations throughout South Africa and Africa.
Each system is designed around the product, required temperature, daily product load, room size and local operating conditions.
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Tell Us About Your Agricultural Cold Storage Needs
Send us your requirements and we’ll help specify the appropriate solution.
FARM & PACKHOUSE REFRIGERATION
Cold Storage Closer to the Point of Production
Temperature control can become important from the moment agricultural products are harvested, collected or prepared for distribution. Providing refrigerated storage close to the point of production can reduce the time products spend exposed to unsuitable temperatures before entering the cold chain.
Africhill manufactures cold-storage facilities that can be installed at farms, packhouses, processing areas and agricultural distribution facilities.
The refrigeration system is designed around what is being stored and how the facility will actually operate.
AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS
Cold Storage Across Agriculture
01
Farms & Growers
Cold-storage facilities located close to the point of harvesting or production.
02
Packhouses
Cold rooms supporting sorting, packing, holding and dispatch operations.
03
Fresh Produce
Temperature-controlled storage for suitable fruit, vegetables and other
fresh agricultural products.
View Fruit & Vegetable Solutions →
04
Dairy Operations
Cold-storage rooms supporting dairy-product storage and agricultural dairy facilities.
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05
Meat & Poultry
Cold and freezer rooms supporting agricultural meat and poultry operations.
06
Seed & Specialised Products
Temperature-controlled rooms for agricultural products requiring specified storage conditions. Requirements depend on the individual product.
07
Agricultural Processing
Cold-storage facilities supporting washing, preparation, packing and processing operations.
08
Distribution & Dispatch
Refrigerated holding areas for products awaiting collection, transport or distribution.
REFRIGERATION DESIGN
Different Products Need Different Storage Conditions
There is no single cold-room temperature suitable for all agricultural products.
Different products can require different temperatures, humidity conditions, airflow and storage periods. Some products can also be damaged if stored at temperatures that are too low.
Africhill therefore designs the cold-storage system around the actual product and operating requirements rather than applying one standard refrigeration solution to every agricultural application.
Product Type
Incoming Product Temperature
Required Storage Conditions
Daily Product Load
Pull-Down Requirement
Room Size
Door Traffic
Ambient Conditions
Product & Storage Conditions
What agricultural product needs to be stored, and what temperature and storage conditions does that specific product require?
Incoming Temperature & Daily Load
The temperature of incoming product and the amount entering the room each day can have a major effect on the refrigeration capacity required.
Pull-Down & Room Use
Africhill considers whether the room is primarily maintaining already-cooled product or whether incoming product must be actively cooled after entering the room.
Ambient Conditions
The climate surrounding the room and refrigeration equipment is also considered when the system is specified.
PRODUCT LOAD MATTERS
Storage Is Different From Removing Field Heat
A cold room used to maintain product that is already at the required temperature has a different refrigeration duty from a room receiving freshly harvested produce at a substantially higher temperature.
Fresh agricultural products can introduce a significant heat load into the room. The quantity of product entering each day, its incoming temperature and the required cooling time can therefore have a major effect on refrigeration capacity.
Where rapid product cooling is required, Africhill should assess the required pull-down duty as part of the refrigeration design.
Room size alone does not determine refrigeration capacity. Product load matters.
TWO DIFFERENT DUTIES
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Maintaining products already close to their required storage temperature.
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Removing heat from warmer product after harvest or production.
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The required cooling time can significantly change the refrigeration duty.
PACKHOUSE REFRIGERATION
Cold Rooms for Packhouses
Packhouses often form an important link between harvesting and distribution. Cold-storage facilities can be integrated into the operation to support product holding, packing and dispatch.
Africhill can manufacture cold rooms around the packhouse layout, available floor space, storage capacity and product movement requirements.
PACKHOUSE CONSIDERATIONS
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How product moves from receiving through sorting and packing.
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Door sizes and layout planned around product movement.
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The room sized around operational storage requirements.
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Cold-room positioning considered within the broader facility workflow.
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE
From Farm Cold Rooms to Large Agricultural Facilities
Agricultural cold-storage requirements range from relatively small farm installations to large refrigerated packhouses and distribution facilities.
Africhill can design and manufacture systems around the scale of the operation rather than forcing the customer into standard room sizes.
Farm Cold Rooms
Cold-storage facilities for smaller and medium agricultural operations.
Commercial Packhouses
Higher-capacity cold rooms supporting regular packing and dispatch.
Industrial Agricultural Facilities
Large refrigerated facilities designed around substantial product loads and operational requirements.
Distribution Facilities
Temperature-controlled storage supporting agricultural supply chains and dispatch.
Agricultural Project Example
An example of Africhill’s agricultural cold-storage capability. Each agricultural system is specified around the individual product, volume, temperature and operating requirements.
REMOTE AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS
Cold Storage for Remote Agricultural Locations
Agricultural projects are not always located close to major towns or refrigeration contractors. This makes installation simplicity, equipment selection and serviceability important considerations.
For suitable applications, Africhill can provide DIY insulated cold-room systems combined with Monoblock refrigeration.
The integrated Monoblock refrigeration unit is supplied pre-assembled and pre-charged, reducing the requirement for extensive refrigeration pipework and refrigerant charging at the destination.
This can be particularly useful for suitable farms and agricultural projects in remote areas.
REMOTE-SITE OPTIONS
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Modular insulated rooms for suitable customer-installed applications.
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Pre-assembled and pre-charged refrigeration for suitable projects.
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Systems designed with remote project logistics in mind.
AFRICA-WIDE SUPPLY
Made in South Africa. Built for African Agriculture.
Agriculture is a major part of the African economy, but many agricultural operations are located far from established refrigeration infrastructure.
Africhill manufactures cold rooms, freezer rooms, insulated panels and refrigeration systems in South Africa for supply throughout Africa.
Systems can be designed with consideration for high ambient temperatures, transport distances, remote locations, electrical supply and installation requirements.
AFRICAN PROJECT DESIGN
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Local operating conditions considered when specifying refrigeration.
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Installation and serviceability considered from the start.
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System configuration considered around site logistics and available power.
WHY AFRICHILL
Why Choose Africhill for Agricultural Cold Storage?
Experience Since 1998
More than 25 years of cold-storage and refrigeration experience.
South African Manufacturer
Cold rooms, freezer rooms and insulated panels manufactured in South Africa.
Custom Manufactured
Room dimensions designed around the farm, packhouse or agricultural facility.
Product-Load Calculation
Refrigeration specified around the product and actual operating requirements.
Commercial & Industrial
From farm cold rooms to larger agricultural facilities.
In-House Insulated Panels
Africhill manufactures the insulated-panel enclosure.
Remote-Site Options
DIY and Monoblock solutions available for suitable applications.
Africa Experience
Cold-storage solutions supplied throughout Africa.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Agricultural Cold Room FAQs
Answers to common questions about agricultural cold rooms, product temperatures, field heat, packhouses and remote farm installations.
What temperature should an agricultural cold room operate at?
There is no single correct temperature for all agricultural products. The appropriate storage conditions depend on the specific product. Africhill designs the refrigeration system around the customer’s required storage conditions.
Can the same cold room store different types of produce?
Possibly, but only where the products have compatible storage requirements. Products requiring significantly different temperatures or conditions may need separate rooms or temperature zones.
Why do you need to know how much product enters the room each day?
Incoming product introduces heat that the refrigeration system must remove. The product quantity, incoming temperature and required cooling time can significantly affect the refrigeration capacity required.
Can a normal cold room rapidly cool freshly harvested produce?
Not necessarily. Maintaining cold product and rapidly removing heat from newly harvested product are different refrigeration duties. Africhill should assess the incoming product load and required pull-down time before specifying the system.
Can Africhill build cold rooms for packhouses?
Yes. Africhill can manufacture cold rooms for packhouses and larger agricultural operations around the required dimensions, product load and workflow.
Can Africhill supply a cold room to a remote farm?
Yes. Depending on the application, Africhill can supply professionally installed systems or DIY cold rooms with Monoblock refrigeration for simplified installation.
Does Africhill supply agricultural cold rooms outside South Africa?
Yes. Africhill manufactures in South Africa and supplies cold-storage solutions throughout Africa.
What information is needed for a quotation?
Tell us the product being stored, required storage temperature, incoming product temperature, quantity entering the room each day, approximate room dimensions and project location.
REQUEST A QUOTATION
Planning Cold Storage for Your Farm or Packhouse?
The more information we have about your product and operation, the more accurately we can specify the cold-storage system.
USEFUL PROJECT INFORMATION
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What agricultural product needs to be stored?
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Incoming product temperature and required storage conditions.
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Approximate kilograms, tonnes, pallets or bins entering each day.
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Approximate room dimensions and farm or project location.
Request My Quotation
Send us your agricultural cold-storage requirements and our team will contact you.