Czark Mak Corporation (CZM) Group of Companies is further expanding its cold storage business with P350-million state-of-the-art cold storage facility and ice plant in Murcia, Negros Occidental to serve the needs of agricultural and other producers in the province and nearby areas. In a statement, CZM said the investment through its subsidiary Sapporo Ice and Cold Storage Company Inc. includes those for the solar power, real estate, and planned dry warehouses. The project is also CZM’s biggest investment so far. The construction of the cold storage facility is expected to be completed this month, with start of commercial operation scheduled for the third week of July. 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. The Sapporo cold storage facility provides both cold storage solutions for blasting and freezing. In addition, it has chillers for agricultural products not required to be stored below zero degree Celsius. The manufacturing activity of Sapporo will supply crystallized tube ice and crushed ice not only to restaurants but also agro-industrial companies engaged in poultry and fisheries. It will serve not only the needs of agricultural and other producers in Murcia but also nearby areas in the province such as Bacolod, Bago, Talisay, Silay, Don Salvador Benedicto, among others. 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 soon cold storage in Batangas under another unit, The Service Warehouse. CZM Chairman and President Caesar Wongchuking explained that they have always identified Negros as one of their preferred areas of investment for the company’s cold chain portolio since the region is heavy in agriculture and identified by the current administration as one of the key growth areas. Sapporo Ice and Cold Storage Company Inc., he said, is gearing towards Triple A classification from the National Meat Inspection Service ( NMIS) with its modern facilities and equipment, the same used by its sister company Nordic Atlantic Logistics Inc. which was awarded a Double A classification on its initial operation and is expected to achieve triple A status upon next inspection. He noted that their cold storage facility will play a vital role in the preservation of the harvest at the farmer’s level, adding that their Murcia facility is strategically located to cater to the farmers in the area and will provide solutions in improving efficiencies and decreasing wastages of the crops. 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 revealed that they are in fact already having initial talks with local government units with regards to providing cold storage solutions to lower mortalities and losses. “We believe that our facility will be beneficial to farmers and fishermen alike in improving their income,” he said. He also disclosed that currently, the CZM group and its associates are present in Iloilo, Murcia, Malolos in Bulacan and Batangas City for its cold chain business, but is already looking at future sites in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Tuguegarao. During the facility’s inauguration last July 1, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said in an interview that this cold storage facility can help improve the productivity and incomes of farmers and livestock raisers and reduce their dependence on middlemen. For his part, Murcia Mayor Victor Gerardo Rojas emphasized that the Sapporo cold storage facility is expected to contribute greatly to the economy of the municipality as well as nearby towns since it can serve as an anchor that can attract business locators, especially those that will be needing the services of the facility. Also present during the inauguration is Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua, national president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) and national chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, explained that this new facility established by CZM without a single centavo from the government is very important since it will help boost the income of farmers whose produce can have extended shelf life. “The future is really about logistics. The problem of huge post-harvest losses of our agricultural sector due to, among others, lack of adequate cold storage facilities, is something that should be addressed in order to make our products to be competitive vis-à-vis our neighbors in the region like Vietnam, which is far ahead in terms of agricultural production,” he said. The CZM group is engaged in various businesses in the country including real estate, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, agribusiness, food and hospitality, and technology, among others, even as it continues to explore new business opportunities and to expand its current customer reach.