France produces 50% of its needs in pears
The French market has the capacity to be self-sufficient in terms of apple production, but the situation is quite different for pears. French supply remains below the national demand. “Generally speaking, French pear consumption is around 200,000 tons, depending on the harvest levels. If we exclude processing and the small amount exported, French production for the fresh market amounts to 100,000 tons of pears per year. In other words, we import 50% of the pears we consume from Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as from South Africa and Argentina in the off-season.”
Pear imports could decline in the years to come
Although there is a logical explanation for this situation, the context has changed over the past 5 years, enabling French pear orchards to develop. “In the past, we have faced problems of competitiveness, costs and profitability of our orchards, which limited their development. In recent years, however, the landscape has changed, thanks in particular to the growing desire to consume French products in France. Demand for French pears has grown, and the orchard's profitability has improved. New orchards are being planted in France, with both classic and new varieties. We can therefore assume that, with constant consumption levels, imports will decline slightly in the years to come.
French apples and pears face different varietal development challenges
In terms of varietal development, French pears and apples will face two different challenges in the coming years. “We need to bring French pears back to the shelves of French retailers, given that we produce 50% of our needs. Until recently, the pear market was relatively limited, with mainly old varieties. With little development for decades, recent years have finally seen the appearance of new varieties offering new colors and taste qualities and winning back young consumers.”
For apples, the situation is very different. French production accounts for 90% of the country's apple consumption. “Many people believe that the large number of varieties on the market - especially the two-tone apples - confuses consumers. Shelf space is not expandable, and today's department heads are willing to try out new varieties, but this will be to the detriment of other references. We are reaching saturation in terms of the number of varieties on the market, which can pose a marketing problem. Rather than seeking to diversify the existing range, varietal research in the French apple sector is focusing more on issues such as resistance to diseases, pests, drought and water availability, while preserving the taste assets already represented by the current varieties.”
Although the French apple and pear markets face different challenges and have not reached the same level of maturity, they share a common objective, which is to offer French and foreign consumers a quality fruit while guaranteeing a good return for producers in a context of climate and economic change.
For more information:
Vincent Guérin
Association Nationale Pommes Poires
7 rue Biscornet - 75012 PARIS
Phone: +33 (0) 1 53 10 27 80
Fax: +33 (0)1 53 10 27 88
v.guerin@pommespoires.fr
contact@lapomme.org
www.lapomme.org