What Temperature Is Used for Fruit Cold Storage and How Much Does a Fruit Cold Room Cost to Build?

In the global fruit supply chain, temperature-controlled storage is one of the most critical factors affecting freshness, shelf life, and market value. A properly designed fruit cold storage room helps growers, exporters, and distributors reduce post-harvest losses, stabilize supply, and sell fruit at better prices.

So, what temperature is normally used for fruit cold storage, and how much investment is required to build a fruit fresh-keeping cold room?

Temperature control requirements for fruit cold storage:

For pome and stone fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, and apricots, the recommended storage temperature is 0–2°C, which helps maintain firmness, flavor, and nutritional value.

Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are best stored at 4–6°C, reducing moisture loss while preventing chilling injury.

Tropical fruits, including bananas and pineapples, require relatively higher temperatures and are typically stored at 6–8°C to avoid cold damage.

Berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, and grapes, are highly perishable and should be stored at 0–2°C to slow respiration and decay.

Early-ripening fruits, including cherries and some peach varieties, are usually stored at 0–5°C due to their short harvest window.

Overall, most commercial fruit cold storage facilities operate within a range of 0–10°C, with precise temperature settings adjusted based on fruit variety and storage duration.

From an investment perspective, buyers are more concerned about how much fruit can be stored for a given budget rather than just construction cost alone.

Below is a typical fruit fresh-keeping cold storage investment reference, based on standard designs:

• Small fruit cold room (≤50 m²)
  • Investment: USD 8,500 – 14,000
  • Storage capacity: approx. 20–30 tons of fruit
• 200 m² fruit cold storage
  • Investment: USD 25,000 – 35,000
  • Storage capacity: approx. 80–100 tons
• 500 m² fruit cold storage
  • Investment: USD 56,000 – 78,000
  • Storage capacity: approx. 200–250 tons
• 1,000 m² fruit cold storage
  • Investment: USD 98,000 – 125,000
  • Storage capacity: approx. 400–500 tons

Storage capacity is calculated based on an average requirement of 4–5 cubic meters per ton of fruit, depending on packaging, pallets, and aisle spacing.