Solar-powered cold storage is transforming agriculture across Africa, helping farmers reduce post-harvest losses, improve product quality, and gain access to higher-value markets. In Kenya, companies such as SoKo Fresh offer pay-per-use cooling services, eliminating the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of owning a unit and giving farmers flexibility to wait for better prices instead of selling immediately. The technology addresses a major challenge across the continent, where the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that up to 40% of food is lost before reaching consumers. Similar solar cold-chain solutions are expanding in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, supporting everything from dairy cooperatives to horticultural exports. Experts say the main challenge now is attracting investment, as many agricultural markets remain fragmented, making it harder to prove reliable returns to skeptical investors despite clear demand for the technology.
AP