In the Netherlands, Xenia pear harvesting usually begins in the second week of September. This year, 25 more hectares of the club variety were planted in the country. "We want to increase the Dutch Xenia pear supply by 1.5 million kilos annually," says Raymond van Ojen of Xenia Europe.
"We, fortunately, have a waiting list of growers who'd like to plant Xenia, but expansion is currently mostly taking place at the existing growers. This year, the total harvest should be 12 million kg, just more than in 2021." Raymond sees good prospects for the new season.
High quality expected
"The pears set well. We expect about a 95% harvest, of which about 90% will be 70+ grading. That seems to be favorable, sales-wise," he expects.
"The hot weather in Europe means the small sizes will mainly be under pressure." Raymond believes the skin quality, too, is good this year.
"Last year, the cold spring caused more bronzing. We don't have that problem this year. Also, with a Brix of 12/13, the sugar content is at a good level. The pears have not been short of water and, thanks to fertigation, have kept growing well," the trader explains.
The Xenias' seasonal prices have already been issued. "The higher energy prices mean we've passed on a slight price increase. Germany will again be our main market, but we've created a nice sales market in Italy and France in recent years. We're delighted that these markets have developed into our biggest climbers. We'll have a stand at Fruit Attraction again to draw attention to Xenia pears in Southern European countries. Given the heat in places like Spain, I expect demand there, too, particularly for larger pears."
Organic Xenia and Conference
This year's organic Xenia pear harvest is smaller than last year. "Then we had 800 tons; this year, that will be about 500 tons. That's a shame because the organic Xenia pear market is definitely growing. Luckily, we now also have organic Conference pears available, which went on sale this week. Xenia pears sales start quietly in mid-October, so this provides a nice (pre-)season addition to meet customer demand," Raymond concludes.
For more information:
Raymond van Ojen
Xenia Europa bv
16 Kantsingel
5349 AJ, Oss, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 623 177 152
Email: raymond@xenia-eu.eu
Website: www.xeniapeer.nl