Parts of Oregon have seen the last of the pear harvest for this season as producers now direct all their attention to packing and shipping. Volume was up over last year, with good growing conditions resulting in a solid fruit set and good quality. Fortunately, the smoke from the fires towards the end of summer did not have any negative impact on the pears.
"We completed our harvest in Medford about 10 days ago," shared Scott Martinez, VP of Sales at Rivermaid Packing Company. "Volume was up 8 percent over last year and the quality of the fruit has been excellent. There were a lot of fires and smoke around this summer but this did not adversely affect the fruit and overall growing conditions were favorable."
Despite additional volume, market was solid
The market for pears is holding firm despite the increase in volume. Martinez suggested this is due to the additional promotions that have been running this year, as well as a good level of demand.
"The pear market has been solid," he said. "Across the Northwest, we have seen the pear crop up by as much as 25 percent. However, there are promotional programs in place, not just in North America, but over the whole world, which are helping to move Northwest fruit."
'Older' pear varieties gaining ground
Some of these promotional efforts appear to have been successful with some of the varieties experiencing good growth. Rivermaid Trading Company sells all the main varieties of pear on behalf of growers throughout Oregon and the Northwest region and they have noted that varieties such as Comice and Bosc have seen a notable rise in demand in recent years.
"We have all the different pear varieties available, from Bartletts to Starkrimson, Comice, Bosc, Anjous and Asian pears, among others," Martinez said. "While Bartletts are the most popular pear especially at the front end of the season, we have seen considerable growth in both Bosc and Comice in the last few years. As is the case with apples, consumers are willing to try different varieties."
"Rivermaid has the capacity to offer pears in a variety of packaging options," he added. "From the normal bulk packs to gusset bags in various sizes as well as 4 lb and 6 lb club boxes."
For more information:
Scott Martinez
Rivermaid Trading Company
Tel: +1 (541) 772-6268
scott@rivermaid.com
www.rivermaid.com