Data to be presented for the Eden variety pear

A recently introduced pear variety, with more than 50 hectares planted to date, including 35 in southern Italy, has shown excellent adaptability to different soil and climate conditions. Uzi Cairo of Cairo & Doutcher plant nursery, the exclusive distributor for Italy of Eden pear trees, provided some data on the variety.

The 2023 production

"I have always believed that innovation is a response to the changes we face. Based on this assumption, I have always tried to look ahead to find solutions that could address the critical issues highlighted in the agricultural sector. As a company, I have been willing to test and invest as long as I was sure of the solutions I was going to bring to the market."

Uzi Cairo

Following the same approach that has been taken with the cultivation of pomegranates and avocados, the company from Salento is now pursuing a new project with the cultivation of pears.

"My interest in the Eden pear began in 2015. The first planting took place directly on my farm in 2020. Right from the start, the trees gave surprising and satisfactory results in terms of timely entry into production, good shelf life, hardiness and resistance to major diseases. It is not the market, but how we produce that will be the issue in the next few years. The question will be whether we have a product on the shelves that is of consistent quality and that meets the needs of consumers.”

The Eden variety yielded 20 tons per hectare 18 months after planting, but 30 tons per hectare at the third flowering 2.5 years after transplanting, with 90% of the fruit being of premium quality.

Last season the fruit set was excellent and with no phenomenon of fruit drop, despite a 25% reduction in productivity compared to a normal year, due to both late frosts and heavy rains during flowering. The gauges were from 65 to 80 mm. Cairo estimates that for the upcoming harvest in August there will be no less than 50 tons per hectare.

"In the last two years, producer prices for the premium quality have been ranging between €1.70 and €2.00/kg," says Cairo. "The production cost of the Eden pear, compared to the average of other varieties, can be estimated at -30/40%, while we've obtained premium fruits using about 70% less pesticides. We have promised Italian farmers great economic benefits that can be achieved over time."

There will be a panel discussion on these results and on the Eden variety during an event scheduled for next Friday, 26 January 2024, in Nettuno (Rome, Italy), starting at 6 p.m., at the Località Le Grugnole, via Ponte Materiale. The purpose of the event is to test the variety and, above all, to compare and learn more about the characteristics of this pear.

The event will focus on promoting and expanding the project about the cultivar. Conference speakers include Uzi Cairo, technicians Lauro Simeoni and Stefano Marullo, who supervise all Eden's orchards, as well as some representatives from Greenyard Fresh Italy.

Roldano Calzolari of Greenyard Fresh Italy adds: "The feedback after the first year of sales is very positive; we were surprised how well consumers responded, finding in this fruit characteristics never before seen in pears and attracting consumers not usually fond of this fruit. Sales volumes for the 2023 campaign were targeted for Italy and Germany; moreover, the product was tested in Austria and Switzerland, where we will launch the commercial campaign next year. These results have confirmed what we have been waiting for in order to be able to proceed with the development of the product in the coming years."