The sea freight potato transport parameters explained below by experts in the field provide the closest-to-ideal conditions to maximize market quality for product trips lasting between five and twenty-one days.

The key to achieving the greatest possible transport quality is to guarantee the highest possible potential for post-harvest quality, employ safe handling techniques, and, most importantly, provide ideal conditions for temperature, humidity, and storage atmosphere. The most effective way to accomplish this is to use refrigeration and positive air circulation across the entire load to add enough fresh air to the atmosphere during transportation.

“Please don’t regard a potato as a tuber coming from the ground, and therefore resistant to bad handling. This can cause severe losses – even within one week of non-optimum transport conditions. Do not allow pressure to keep costs down to apply less than optimum handling and transport conditions,” PPECB sea freight company experts wrote in one of their guidelines.

Regardless of the distance traveled, certain import authorities or customers can need pre-cooling, cold storage, and refrigerated transportation. Before signing contracts, exporters must acquire comprehensive buyer specifications to prevent disagreements and payment rejections.

Optimum Temperature Requirements

When shipping potatoes, they must be kept chilled for more than 10 days. Factors including the product’s age, potential for quality retention, intended use, handling, transit, and storage conditions all influence how long a product should be kept in storage.

Seed potatoes have strong storage potential from the start, they can be kept for long periods between 0.5 and 2.0 degrees Celsius. Experts advise keeping an eye out for freezing when keeping near 0.5 degrees Celsius and making sure there’s enough airflow and the ideal relative humidity.

Table potatoes – a temperature of 5.5 degrees Celsius is the most ideal for long-term (or extended) storage. It is recommended to store items between 4.5 and 5.5 degrees Celsius for no more than seven days. For shorter trips, warmer temperatures of up to 12 degrees Celsius can also be utilized.

Processing potatoes – cultivars that are going to be deep-fried (to make chips or French fries) or utilized in other goods need to be kept between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius.

“Exporters must confirm required product temperature with the buyer before dispatch because some importing countries and even buyers will state ‘refrigerated transport’ but will refuse payment if the consignment does arrive at a specific temperature (unknown to the exporter). Exporters and buyers must realize that refrigerated storage and transport cannot guarantee a 100% outturn only because it was passed for export. Product quality is determined by many pre and post-harvest conditions, especially the ‘age’ of the potato between lifting and marketing. Non-optimal pre-shipment conditions will negatively affect market quality,” experts say.

PPECB specialists added that potatoes must always be kept dry and no condensation must be allowed. Even a microscopic film of moisture may result in decay. Humidity below 80% may result in weight loss over 200 g per 25 kg potatoes within one day resulting in the cultivars being rejected for not complying with minimum mass specification. Adequate ventilation and fresh air must be supplied at all times to ensure even moisture distribution through the total load.

You can read the rest of this article in your complimentary e-copy of Issue 1 of Potato Business Dossier 2024, which you can access by clicking here.