Tech support from Australia offers low cost postharvest solution

The showcase and pilots are within the framework of the project Cool Chain to Maintain Produce Quality from Son La to Urban Market funded by the Australian government through its Aus4Innovation program.

The walk-in cooler at Dong Sang Organic Agriculture Cooperative (Dong Sang commune, Moc Chau district) was the first walk-in cooler installed by the project.

CoolBot technology uses controllers that allow conventional air-conditioning units to reach a temperature as low as 5oC. This technology can be applied for walk-in coolers and trucks to store and transport fresh vegetables and fruits.

The fruit and vegetable sector is an important source of employment and income for the people in Son La province, especially women. With supermarkets and convenience stores in Hanoi and other big cities thriving, high quality agricultural products are now in great demand.

However, the lack of a functional cool chain between Son La and Hanoi means that farmers are having to throw away up to 30% of the produce as it arrives in poor condition, this particularly affects highly perishable crops such as lettuce, beans and tomatoes.

The CoolBot controller connected to the air conditioner helps bring the temperature down to below 5 degrees Celsius. A conventional air conditioner when installed with the controller can cool a storage space with maximum volume of 30m3.

The project, implemented by Vietnamese company Fresh Studio and Applied Horticultural Research from Australia, has successfully installed eleven walk-in coolers and two refrigerated trucks using CoolBot for farmers and cooperatives in Moc Chau.

Training on the use of the technology and other postharvest techniques were also delivered to ensure smooth operation. Initial evaluation on possible improvements, in terms of produce quality maintenance and income to farmers, if the solution is to be applied was also undertaken to help farmers make informed decision.

Speaking of the project’s success, Director of the Aus4Innovation program, Dr. Kim Wimbush, said, “CoolBot is a proven solution developed for small householder farmers in developing countries and has been widely applied. By introducing this technology to Vietnam, we hope to bring about new opportunities for the local agrifood products to reach new and further markets and contribute to sustaining the livelihoods of local farmers.”

Representative of the project presents Dr Kim Wimbush, Aus4Innovation Program Director, about the project's achievements.

Ms. Cam Thi Phong, Deputy Director General, Son La Department of Agriculture and Rural Development added: “Application of science and technology is among the solutions for enhancing agriculture and food sector as determined by the province’s leadership. We appreciate the project as they provided a whole package of technology transfer and training, and consolidating a network embedding business partners, research institutes and local government to enable the solution to work and sustain.”

The project started in September 2020 with funding of AUD 378,000 from the Aus4Innovation program. The project team has since worked with farmer groups to pilot how low-cost CoolBot refrigeration using domestic air conditioners could provide the missing cooling function in the vegetable chain, increase farmer incomes and improve quality and supply of vegetables for consumers in Vietnam.

Refrigeration trucks help Nong Xanh Cooperative transport vegetables to their customers which are clean vegetable stores in Hanoi every week.

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