China’s market for refrigerated warehouses is expected to grow by about 24 percent for each of the next five years amid a thriving consumer market and food-export sector, real estate services provider Jones Lang LaSalle has predicted. A change in eating habits and heightened awareness of food safety standards are boosting domestic demand for cold storage logistics, a report by the company said. Inadequate regulations and underdeveloped infrastructure are to blame for the gap, industry analysts said. On a state level, instead of having a dedicated department overseeing the cold chain logistics industry, the market is now supervised by a multitude of authorities. Too few quality refrigerated vehicles, railcars and containers and a relatively low stock of refrigerated warehouse space have also hindered development of the industry.
