Cold‑chain capacity reviewed

New Zealand has launched an urgent review of national cold‑storage capacity after exporters warned refrigerated‑container availability could tighten if the Middle East war and related shipping disruptions persist. (farmersweekly.co.nz) The Global Cold Chain Alliance flagged on March 5, 2026 that escalating conflict in the Middle East is beginning to disrupt temperature‑controlled trade routes and complicate logistics for fresh produce, meat and seafood. (gcca.org) Industry trackers report 2026 is shaping up as a reefer market squeeze—operators are seeing equipment pressure, longer lead times and route reroutes tied to Red Sea and Suez corridor risks. (arconcontainer.com) The Philippines opened a P500 million Bicol Mega Cold Storage Warehouse on March 23, 2026 as part of a government cold‑storage expansion push intended to reduce post‑harvest losses and stabilize regional supply chains. (businessmirror.com.ph) Jamaica’s government announced in 2025 it was committing “hundreds of millions” of dollars to build cold‑storage capacity, including a large agricultural storage project in Essex Valley, St Elizabeth, as part of a broader national network plan. (jamaicaobserver.com, jamaica-gleaner.com) A recent regional market analysis estimates the Caribbean cold‑chain market at around $680 million in 2025, with a reported $350 million infrastructure gap and perishable‑food loss rates of 40–50%, translating to roughly $1.4 billion of annual losses. (hoperesearchgroup.com, agrifocuscaribbean.com) Port development and capacity concentration are already redirecting regional flows: Kingston and Caucedo have public expansion plans positioning them as competing Caribbean hubs, while GCCA data shows top global cold‑storage operators expanded capacity by roughly 10% into a 7.3 billion ft³ pool in 2025—indicating where refrigerated throughput will concentrate if shipping routes shift. (americasmi.com, refindustry.com)