COST OF PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD

IN ASIA PACIFIC REGIONS

By
P. Kendall and L. Payton
Senior Consultants

INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
In Cooperation With
ASIA PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of contents .............................................................................................................................ii
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................iii
List of Tables..................................................................................................................................iv
I. RATIONALE. ............................................................................................................................1
a. Facilitation...............................................................................................................................1
b. Room Management .................................................................................................................1
II. COLD STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS............................................................................2
a. Cooling System .......................................................................................................................3
b. Freezing...................................................................................................................................3
III. COSTING................................................................................................................................3
a. Packaging Cost ........................................................................................................................3
b. Canning Costs .........................................................................................................................4
c. Drying Costs............................................................................................................................4
IV. CONCLUSSION .....................................................................................................................5
References .......................................................................................................................................5

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Aerial vier of proposed cold storage ...........................................................................1
Figure 2. Room for fruits and vegetables stores, include beets, cabbage, carrots, celery,
parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, apples and pears..............................................2
Figure 3. Room for cold storage equipments and sanitary tools.................................................2
Figure 4. The cooling system is powered with 64 HP engines, suported with wellventilated, cool, dry place............................................................................................3

iii | C o l d S t o r a g e P l a n t

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.

Operation cost of a 15-cubic-foot freezer per pound of food. ................................. 3

Table 2.

Estimated yield of canned fruits and vegetables from fresh. Actual yield will
depend on quality of food........................................................................................ 4

iv | C o l d S t o r a g e P l a n t

COST OF PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD

P. Kendall1 and L. Payton2

I. RATIONALE.

Home food preservation saves money for some people, for others it may not save
anything.
Freezing is simple and keeps food more like fresh produce than other preservation
methods. However, a freezer is costly to purchase and operate.

In the past few years, many Americans have attempted to beat rising food costs with a
Garden hoe and canning jars. Home food preservation does save money for some people.

a. Facilitation
Produce used in home food preservation may come from several sources: home Gardens,
roadside markets, pick-your-own fields,
or gifts from "green-thumb" family or
If you purchase the produce, the cost is evident.
friends.
If you have a Garden, some costs to consider
include the cost of the land; special costs to till
The harvest value of your Gardening
the soil; the cost of such reuseable equipment as
efforts will depend on the market value
Garden tools; the cost of non-reuseable items
of the food produced minus any costs
such as seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and water;
incurred. If you produce a bumper crop,
and your time and energy.
the savings may be great.

b. Room Management
The aerial view is available on Figure 1. Root cellaring or cold storage also may be an
economical way to preserve some foods. Fruits and vegetables that store well this way
include beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, apples and
pears (Figure 2).

Figure 1. Aerial vier of proposed cold storage

1
2

Consultant of Agricultural Economic, IFAD

Consultant of Food Technology, APDF

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Figure 2. Room for fruits and vegetables stores, include beets, cabbage, carrots, celery,
parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, apples and pears

II. COLD STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS.

Research shows that it takes 0.l kilowatt hours (kwh) to freeze a pound of food and lower
its temperature to 0 degrees. The electrical energy required depends on many factors. Some
of these are:
Size of freezer. In general, larger freezers use more electricity than smaller ones.
Insulating properties of freezer. In general, better insulated freezers cost more to
purchase but less to operate.
Freezer maintenance. Clean condensor coils and defrost freezers as needed.
Whereas the room for cold storage equipments includes sanitary tools is located in the back
area, as shown on Figure 3

Figure 3. Room for cold storage equipments and sanitary tools

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a. Cooling System
The cooling system is powered with 64 HP engines, suported with well-ventilated, cool,
dry place. Hence it will be safe to store pumpkin, winter squash and sweet potatoes in an
unheated room or basement through the summer (Figure 4).

Figure 4. The cooling system is powered with 64 HP engines, suported with wellventilated, cool, dry place.

b. Freezing
Freezing has advantages and disadvantages for food preservation. Some costs associated
with freezing food include:

initial cost of freezer, divided over 20 years if new, nine years if used;
lost interest on cash outlay for freezer and maintenance and repair;

III. COSTING

a. Packaging Cost
The cost of packaging, including reuseable containers, will range from 2 to more than 6
cents per pound. Rigid containers, such as plastic cartons or glass jars, cost more initially.
Table 1: Operation cost of a 15-cubic-foot freezer per pound of food.
Cost Items
Electrical energy
0.1 kwh per pound to freeze
2.3 kwh per pound to maintain 0 degrees F
2.4 kwh per pound @ 7 cents per kwh
Freezer, divided over years and pounds of food ($450 / 20 years / 525 pounds)
Interest from alternate investment ($450 * 12% / 525 pounds)
Total cost/lb

Cents/lb
16.8
5.0
0.4
1.7
4.0
10.3
38.2

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b. Canning Costs
Canning usually is a more economical method of preserving food in the home than
freezing In addition to the cost of produce, special costs associated with preserving food by
canning include:
A pressure canner is the most expensive piece of equipment needed for
home canning, ranging in price from $100 to $150. The initial cost may
be divided over a 15- to 20-year life expectancy.

Table 2: Estimated yield of canned fruits and vegetables from fresh. Actual yield will
depend on quality of food.
Fruits and tomatoes
Apples (sliced)
Tomatoes, juice
Vegetables
Asparagus
Carrots
Corn

Quantity
1 bushel
1 bushel (53 lbs)

Yield
15-20 quarts
12-16 quarts

1 bushel (45 lbs)

1 bushel (50 lbs)
1 bushel (35 lbs)

11-14 quarts
16-25 quarts
12-16 pints

The cost of added ingredients with home-canned foods may be minor in the case of
vegetables (usually 1/2 teaspoon salt per quart ) to major in jams, jellies and some pickles.

c. Drying Costs
Drying may be an economical method to preserve foods. It does not require expensive
equipment, you can use solar power, and dried foods need little space or energy for
storage. On the other hand, drying foods is time consuming, weather conditions may not
cooperate if drying outdoors, and the end result may be less desirable than foods preserved
by canning and freezing.
Table 3: Cost of sugar/qt of food canned
Cost per quart*
Medium syrup

Cost for 5 lbs of

Light syrup
Heavy syrup
sugar*
1.60
7.0
9.5
13.0
1.65
7.5
10.0
13.5
1.70
7.5
10.5
14.0
1.75
8.0
10.5
14.0
2.40
10.9
14.4
19.5
*Using 1-1/4 cups syrup per quart. Assumes 0.0445 for light syrup, 0.060 for medium
syrup, 0.0812 for heavy syrup, times the cost of 5 pounds of sugar.
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The daily expenses cost can be calculated using the following equation:

i n

i 1

i 1

i 1

L ( x ) yi2 2 Vn xi , yi Vn xi

The yearly expenses can be summarized using this equation:

i 1

f ( x)

J k ( x)
( x a) k p dx
k!

IV. CONCLUSSION
Root cellaring or cold storage also may be an economical way to preserve some foods.
Fruits and vegetables that store well this way include beets, cabbage, carrots, celery,
parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, apples and pears. Special costs associated with
preserving foods in a root cellar:

The required storage space is lost to other uses.

Time and produce lost in keeping the storage area clean and free of decaying fruits
and vegetables. This is most important to prevent further spread of decay.

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