"The pear market is at a standstill, yesterday we only managed to sell two basket boxes. The situation was much better ten days ago. Prices are €1.50 for a 12-fruit basket and €1.30/kg for 14-fruit ones," reports a wholesaler from Bologna.
The Bologna wholesale market. (Archive photo)
Another wholesaler reports identical prices for Abate pears and €1-1.10/kg and €1.20-1.30/kg for 18-16 fruit formats. They are higher than last year due to the lower volumes available.
"The market is moving very slowly because of the temperatures, as they do not help consumption. Quotations are high because higher prices were paid in the fields. They say there are less pears available, but it doesn't look like it to me." This may be due to the fact that, as demand is low, even current volumes are abundant.