Cold treatment facility opens at Lewis Farms

ROCKY POINT, NC (WWAY)– Two Southeastern North Carolina-based companies are coming together to make it easier to get fresh fruits and vegetables from across the country and around the world. 

Lewis Nursery and Farms and American Blueberries LLC have opened a cold treatment facility in Rocky Point.  

Cold treatment is a process that eliminates pests from produce before it is imported into the United States. It also boosts shelf life, since it keeps the produce fresher during transit.  

A representative with NC Ports says the new facility will make it easier and faster to import produce and other perishables through the Port of Wilmington.    

“Now Lewis Farms has this capability to support any volumes that fail cold treatment in the process of shipment and need to go through the retreatment process at their facility,” said Brian Clark, NC Ports Executive Director.    

The new facility will make North Carolina one of just seven states nationwide, with USDA certified cold treatment capabilities.