As China continues to grow and an expanding middle class exerts its new buying power, demand for premium fresh produce will continue to rise. With most of the supplies of Asian pears imported from mainland China, that increased demand will make for higher prices for those pears in North America as well as in Asia.
“Most of our Asian pears are sourced in China, and there's huge demand for them right now,” said Judith Lu of Fresh Direct Produce. “Everything in China is growing, so it becomes a demand issue where prices could get higher because of big demand in China.”
Fresh Direct, which is based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, imports two main types of Asian pears. The clean-skinned pears, which have white skin, include the Crystal and Golden varieties. The brown-skinned pears include Yali and fragant pear varieties. They import the pears from China and South Korea, and the market for the pears has intensified over the years as more North American consumers become familiar with the pears at the same time that Chinese consumers keep up the strong demand for them in Asia.
“Asian pears are different from the conventional pears people are used to in North America,” explained Lu. “They are very crispy and juicy, which distinguishes them from conventional pears, which have a soft texture when ripe.” Asian pears, in contrast, hold their texture, even deep into maturity.
For more information:
Judith Lu
Fresh Direct Produce
Tel: +1 604 255 1330