Taichung market expands cold chain distribution center

台中果菜批發市場擴大冷鏈物流中心

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday to mark completion of the second phase of its cold chain distribution center.

The new facility will allow agricultural products to be kept at optimal low temperatures from procurement through grading, packaging, and shipping, extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, per CNA.

The company is a government-backed public enterprise that operates the largest wholesale agricultural market in central Taiwan. It serves as a major logistics hub connecting farmers nationwide with distributors, retailers, and food-service operators.

Its primary role is to conduct daily auctions and operate a matching platform for fresh fruits and vegetables, helping ensure transparent pricing based on supply and demand. The company also operates an on-site chemical testing laboratory that uses mass spectrometry equipment to screen for pesticide residues.

In addition to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the company marked the 30th anniversary of its relocation to its current site. Taichung City Government Deputy Secretary-General Chang Ta-chun (張大春), along with KMT legislators Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) and Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪), attended the ceremony.

The Taichung City Agriculture Bureau said the market has handled between 160,000 and 180,000 metric tons of produce annually in recent years, qualifying it as a Class A wholesale market, per CNA.

Over the past three decades, the market has continued upgrading its infrastructure to meet changing industry demands. Recent improvements, supported by both the central and city governments, include digitization of the auction system, parking and traffic flow upgrades, backup power systems, and development of the cold chain network.

To further modernize the market and meet wholesalers’ refrigeration needs, the central government, Taichung City Government, and the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Company jointly invested more than NT$310 million (US$9.85 million) beginning in 2020 to construct the two-phase cold chain distribution center.

The project includes 530 square meters of low-temperature processing space, 1,400 square meters dedicated to low-temperature cutting, grading, and packaging operations, and a pesticide residue testing center.

Officials said the facility’s completion will help preserve agricultural products at optimal temperatures throughout the distribution process, extending shelf life and improving product quality. The market added it will continue strict quality control inspections before auctions to ensure all agricultural products meet food safety standards.