PRESTIGE INTERNATIONAL

About the Cargo and Shipment Requirement

China is the world's largest producer and exporter of garlic. The exported garlic from China is primarily fresh or refrigerated garlic bulbs, accounting for approximately 85% of total volume, while dried garlic exports making up about 9.5%, and other garlic products occupy the rest 5.5%. Shandong Province consistently ranks the top region in garlic exports nationwide. Prestige has maintained long-standing partnership with major garlic exporters by our highly dedicated services and extensive operational expertise in the international reefer shipment for all kinds of fresh garlic products.

Fresh garlic belongs to perishable food and must be transported in refrigerated containers to ensure its freshness and quality. The optimal storage temperature for fresh garlic is -0.5°C to 0°C, and can be slightly adjusted based on the specific variety and quality requirements. Temperatures below -7°C may cause freezing damage to some varieties, while temperatures above 5°C may cause sprouting, leading to the shrivelling of the cloves. In general, the temperature of refrigerated containers is set between -3°C and 0°C. At such lower temperature, the heat generated by garlic respiration is absorbed, helping to maintain a period of dormancy. Additionally, the freezing point of garlic bulbs is -3°C and lower temperatures may cause freezing damage to the bulbs. Garlic also has strict humidity requirements. Humidity of 75% to 80% is optimal, while garlic bulbs require even higher humidity, ideally around 70% to 75%. Excessively high humidity causes the bulbs to absorb moisture, leading to surface mould and gradually affecting internal quality. Conversely, lower humidity results in excessive moisture loss, causing the garlic to shrivel.

It is important to note that during the reefer shipment, temperature fluctuations should be minimized, as big temperature fluctuations can easily cause physiological abnormalities. The temperature and humidity of refrigerated containers must be monitored in real-time to ensure the freshness and quality of the garlic and prevent any spoilage.

Prestige's Tailor-made Solution

1)  Taking all transportation requirement into serious consideration and with careful study and judgement of the shipment, we secured reefer spaces on the corresponding voyage on CMA, COSCO, MAERSK, OOCL, HAPAG-LLOYD to ensure timely delivery of the cargo at port of discharge;

2)  Through our special efforts, we always managed to use relatively new reefer containers with less than three years of age for this shipment to maximum ensure the freshness of the garlic;

3)  To meet the strict requirement, we always equip LIVE functionality with the reefers on GPS tracking and temperature real-time monitoring, ensuring full cold control and real-time visibility throughout the whole shipment.