The Northwest pear season has faced more moderate demand this year, suppliers say. Overall movement has been slower than normal. Total crop volume however, was lower than last year, and as a result, remaining fruit is at a manageable level.
"We have moved fewer pears this year," noted Ed Weathers of Duckwall Fruit. "However, we have a similar remaining inventory as at the same time last year, which was a large crop."
Interestingly, production of pears in each of the major regions in the Northwest has been highly variable. As Weathers observed, "The mid Columbia basin region produced a large crop this season, however the crop out of the Wenatchee Valley was very short. So we experienced a big difference between the two regions, and on balance, we saw a shorter crop than last year."
Some varieties performing well
When broken down in the different varieties, differences emerge as to how each has performed. According to Weathers, Bartletts - which were the first to finish - have performed very strongly, while the market for Bosc has also been good. Anjou on the other hand, has not performed so well.
"The Bosc market has been strong," he said. "The Bosc crop was very short, with total volume down around 60 percent on last season. Anjou volume was similar to last year, but demand has been sluggish and prices have been depressed. We still have green and red Anjou available, as well as Bosc and some of the smaller varieties such as Comice, Forelle and Seckel."
On the export front, suppliers are seeing a similar market to last year, with a similar level of interest in Northwest pears. It has also been noted that premium quality fruit has been holding its own in terms of pricing. "We are seeing more variability between the different sizes and grades," Weathers said. "Premium quality fruit is doing noticeably better than the lower grades."
New optical sizer coming for Duckwall Fruit
Duckwall Fruit has been busy looking ahead at the trends of the pear market and made changes according to how it sees as the way the industry is moving. Weathers has observed, for example, the success of the conditioned pear program, with more customers asking for conditioned pears. He also shared the latest packaging trends and also news of the company's new equipment for next season.
"We are doing more bags and Euro-style 2-layer trays," he said. "Duckwall Fruit is also installing a new optical pre-sizer which will be ready for the next pear season. Our aim is to ensure greater throughput and consistency."
For more information:
Ed Weathers
Duckwall Fruit
Ph: +1 (541) 354-1651
eweathers@duckwallfruit.com
www.duckwallfruit.com