Portugal: Potential of Rocha pears depends on their long shelf life

Rocha pears were named after Pedro António Rocha, who first identified it in 1836 at his own plantation in Sintra. It was not until the 60s and 70s when it began to gain popularity in Portugal and started spreading in the west of the country. From the 90s onwards, production volumes skyrocketed and its internationalisation intensified. Nowadays, around 200,000 tonnes of Rocha pears are grown each season. This protected variety now represents 99% of Portugal's total pear production.

This pear, grown only in Portugal, started being exported to Brazil in the late 70s, but thanks to some campaigns carried out in European supermarkets in 1991 it started conquering the European markets. Currently, around 45% of the production remains in the domestic market for both fresh consumption and the processing industry, while the remaining 55% is exported, not only to Brazil, but also to countries like the UK, one of the main destinations for this pear, as well as Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Russia, Poland, Canada and Morocco.

It started being sold overseas at supermarkets for customers with a high purchasing power as a pear with differentiated value due to its organoleptic qualities and low production. Later, as production volumes grew, the mass market was pursued. Today it can be found both in discount supermarkets as well as gourmet stores.

Based in Cadaval, the heart of the main Rocha pear production area in western Portugal, the COOPVAL cooperative was established as the fruit's largest producer and marketer. With nearly 25,000 tonnes per year, COOPVAL accounts for about 12% of Portugal's entire production.

"Rocha pears continue to be characterised by their long shelf life; an important advantage that makes them very attractive, especially for major distributors, due to them being easy to handle and very profitable," he affirms.

However, their market may be in serious danger after the EU's ban on the use of ethoxyquin, an antioxidant that makes it possible for the fruit to retain its quality during long-term storage. "It is without a doubt the biggest concern for the sector. Without this antioxidant we could lose about three to four months of sales. Although there is an alternative solution, it doesn't give us the same results," concludes Nelson.

At present, the sale of pears stored from the 2013 campaign is about to finish and preparations are being made for the 2014 campaign, which will begin in August.

Nelson Isidoro promoting Rocha pears during the latest edition of Medfel, in Perpignan, France.

"The 2013/2014 season has been tough. The fruit generally reached smaller calibres and prices have gradually dropped throughout the entire campaign in response to a stagnant demand. Prices have mostly been affected by the increased pear production in the rest of Europe, although the effects of the economic crisis are increasingly more noticeable," points out Nelson Isidoro. "It doesn't look like the situation will improve in this sense for the 2014/2015 campaign," he added. "However, we expect slightly higher production volumes and better calibres, as well as a more attractive outer appearance."

For more information:
Nelson Isidoro
COOPVAL
T: +351 262 690 000
M:+351 91 776 6878
nelson.isidoro@coopval.com
www.coopval.com