Sea freight has become the preferred method for exporting agricultural products due to its significantly lower costs—up to 50–70% cheaper than air transport. However, this cost efficiency comes with a trade-off: longer transit times, typically ranging from 10 to 30 days, during which product quality can degrade significantly—especially for perishable fruits like lychees, mangoes, longans, and rambutans.
1. Lower Cost, Higher Risk
Many exporters have suffered heavy losses as shipments were rejected at the port of entry due to over-ripening, discoloration, off-flavors, mold, or spoilage. The core issues often stem from:
- Poor control of temperature, humidity, and gas composition inside refrigerated containers
- Failure to slow down the natural respiration process of the produce
- Inadequate logistics coordination across the cold chain
Without proper post-harvest preservation, agricultural products can lose 30–60% of their market value during long-haul sea transport. This affects not only profit margins but also brand credibility and long-term export viability.
2. Controlled Atmosphere: Putting Produce in “Suspended Animation”
To solve this, leading export countries have embraced Controlled Atmosphere (CA) technology, which modifies the surrounding environment by reducing oxygen levels, increasing carbon dioxide, and regulating temperature and humidity—effectively slowing ripening and decay without chemicals.
In Vietnam, the pioneering CA preservation model is CASS (Controlled Atmosphere Storage System). CASS integrates both static CA cold rooms and mobile CA containers, allowing fresh produce to maintain optimal condition throughout sea transport.
3. How CASS Solves Maritime Shipping Challenges
- 🚛 Mobile CA containers
→ Maintain a controlled atmosphere directly inside shipping containers, adjusting O₂, CO₂, and humidity to slow respiration and ripening. - 🥭 Preserve original quality
→ Keep color, crispness, flavor, and nutritional value intact—ensuring Vietnamese produce meets strict import standards in the EU, U.S., Japan, and South Korea. - 💰 Reduce post-harvest loss to under 5%
→ Increase profits, stability, and market confidence for exporters. - 🌱 Zero chemicals used
→ Fully compliant with global standards for clean, green agriculture and consumer safety.
Conclusion: Sea Freight Is Only Cheaper If Quality Remains Intact
Shipping by sea can only be considered cost-effective if the integrity of the produce is preserved from farm to market. This requires not just cold storage—but smart, controlled preservation strategies.
CASS provides a comprehensive solution that allows exporters to enjoy lower logistics costs without sacrificing product quality, paving the way for more sustainable and competitive Vietnamese agriculture.
CASS – Preserving Quality, Protecting Value.
• Hotline/Zalo: 0931790829 – 0931780829
• Email: cass@cass.vn
• Website: cass.vn
• Fanpage: CASS – Kho bảo quản nông sản tươi bằng công nghệ CA
• Địa chỉ kho (trước sáp nhập): Lô F5, Đường số 6, KCN Hoà Bình, Huyện Thủ Thừa, Tỉnh Long An
Địa chỉ kho (sau sáp nhập): Lô F5, Đường số 6, KCN Hoà Bình, Xã Thủ Thừa, Tỉnh Tây Ninh
