Role and importance of logistics facilities in the fruit farming

Constructing a building that includes a sorting hall, cold stores, hygiene and sanitary facilities and required additional infrastructure is a serious project that has to take into account the provisions of construction law, architectural and construction requirements and principles of the art of construction. A key issue is also cooperation with the general contractor during the whole investment process. When developing a design of a logistics facility the most important thing is to choose appropriate technology to build it. Since building a masonry building ? so far most often used technology - takes a long time, investors more and more often use steel or reinforced concrete constructions encased with bonded panels. This technology makes it possible to complete a building in a shorter time, which enables an investor a shorter payback period. Both during designing logistics facilities and choosing finishes mistakes are made, connected in particular with the introduction of systems for food quality and safety, such as: GMP, HACCP, BRC and IFS. With Poland?s accession to the European Union Polish fruit farmers gained access to a large EU agricultural budget, which led to the establishment of producer groups whose importance in terms of the construction of logistics facilities in the sector of fruit farming in Poland should be highlighted. Producer groups can lower production costs and improve the attractiveness of the offer. A producer group, in order to start its operation, needs its own logistics centre. In the current economy, it is not production of goods, but their sale that is a problem. Construction, development or modernisation of storage facilities and storage and sorting halls, especially with support from the EU, enables technological and quality progress in terms of storage and preparation of fruit for sale, which is both a requirement and a big chance for the Polish fruit farming.