The new pear season is fast approaching. The last stocks are being delivered, and much free trade is no longer available. Looking ahead to the latest harvest, there are still a few concerns. Nevertheless, grower Bert Morren says he expects a lower yield of Conference pears due to a combination of factors. "I think we're looking at about 70 to 80 per cent of a normal harvest," he says.
Is the current drought still a problem? "It's not too bad," explains the grower from Kortenaken, Flanders. "The pear trees are showing reasonable growth, but it won't be a full harvest. What's the reason for that? Good question. There were lots of blossoms, and the pears initially set well, but then we experienced significant fruit drop, and many trees lost their fruit after all, much more than we expected. It might have been partly due to the hailstorm and the subsequent problems with the bacterial disease Pseudomonas. We've also had a lot of persistent north-easterly winds. It's likely a combination of factors. I didn't expect it, but it seems to have taken its toll."
However, Bert is satisfied with the quality. "As long as we're spared from hail, they'll be beautiful pears. Much nicer than last year. There may not be a full crop, but the size and quality are looking good. That is, provided we avoid hail and thunderstorms. Then the price should be able to compensate for the lower yield. Despite the good weather—or perhaps because of it—we remain cautious. July and August are always the most tense months for a hard fruit grower."
The company expects to start the pear season around the same time as last year. "I think it will be around 18 August. Before that, we have our summer apple, Sissired. That's also developing very nicely. Last year was a good year, although the yield was somewhat lower. That's not the case this year, so we're definitely looking forward to it. We also have high expectations for prices. Last year wasn't bad, but it looks like there will be less on the market next season. There are fewer plantings, and harvest forecasts in Europe are slightly lower, so you'd say there's plenty of room on the market."
For more information:
Bert Morren
Fruitbedrijf Morren 
Groenstraat 6
3470 Kortenaken, Belgium
+32 474 76 46 69
[email protected]
www.streekproductenmorren.be