Learning From Apple Growers In Poland

Poland is the largest producer of apples in the European Union. On a recent visit to the country, Annelie Coleman met BartÅ‚omiej Brodzik from the Apple Factory, one of Poland’s major apple growers and exporters.

- Annelie Coleman

Apples have been grown in Poland since the 12th century, and today form an integral part of its economy. Indeed, apples account for more than 80% of the fruit production in that country.

Poland is the biggest apple growing country in the EU, and is home to nearly a third of all apple orchards in the union.

According to the latest statistics from the Polish Orchard Society, apple production reached 4,15 million tons in the 2016/2017 season. Apples are produced mainly in the Grójec region in the Masovia province, which is about 40km south of Warsaw. Apples are also grown, to a lesser degree, in the Sandomierz region, explains BartÅ‚omiej Brodzik, CEO of apple-producing and exporting business, Apple Factory, based in Grójec.

WORKING TOGETHER

The Apple Factory is certified by GLOBALGAP and HACCP, among others. It markets export quality fruit all year round, and belongs to the Åšwieży Owoc group, a company formed by fruit producers. The group’s founders are highly skilled in apple production, with many years’ experience in the Polish apple industry, which improves the business’s competitive edge. The main aim of the group is to cooperate in the planning, production and marketing of apples, in accordance with the highest global standards.

In order to increase its market share, Świeży Owoc continues to increase the number of producers in the group. Through amalgamated production, its warehouse facilities and sorting plant, the group is able to market top-quality apples for both the global and local markets.

The business’s cold chambers have a total capacity of 8 000t, while the warehouses cover a total area of 3 500m². Moreover, a highly developed logistics system allows access to markets in virtually any destination.