Spain: Rincón de Soto pears to be exported next season

The sector welcomes the new Rioja company MissFruit, devoted to the production and marketing of Conference pears from La Rioja under the PDO Pera de Rincón de Soto.

"Five producers have joined with the goal of concentrating sufficient volumes and be able to start exporting our pears. In total, we have about 250 hectares, which translates into about 5 million kilos," says MissFruit manager Luis Calvo, who took part as an exhibitor in Medfel, Perpignan.

According to Luis Calvo, the markets where they are most interested to start work are France, Italy and the UK.

"The domestic market is very demanding in terms of quality, and by experience we know that large sizes are the most demanded, but it is also very saturated and it is difficult to compete with producers in our area. Consequently, we believe we can better find our place overseas. We're still trying to figure out what calibres and presentations the European markets are most interested in, but we are prepared to exports with our GlobalGAP and BRC certifications," he said.

The young company started exporting during a somewhat tumultuous period for pome fruit, with Russia having closed its borders since last summer. "It was an interesting market because of its great consumption of high-quality pears," he states.

According to Luis Calvo, Conference pears of Rincón de Soto are very similar in terms of shape to the Dutch Conference, although "their higher Brix levels, thanks to the region's climate, makes them stand out. This is also what naturally gives the fruit its characteristic russeting."

After a good flowering period, the start of the Rincón de Soto pear season is expected for 20 August.