The new Conference pear season is about to start in Belgium, which means the Corina season is almost over. These early Corina pears are on the market until the first Conferences appear and have sold well again this year. "The market was empty, so prices were quite high. I think growers and traders could make good returns," says daily director Willy Dillen of the Corina Producers Association.
The first Corina pears hit the market around August 4, and the last of these should be sold this week. "Yields were on the high side. I think we'll reach about 2.5 million kilos, which is slightly more than last year. They're of nice sizes but aren't as sweet as we'd have liked. It was warm and sunny for a very long time, but relatively cold and rainy in the weeks leading up to the harvest, which diluted the sugars slightly. But all was well in the end, and they sold nicely."
That was because they entered an empty market. "Few Conferences remained on the market at picking time, which is ideal for us. Prices were, thus, good," explains Willy. Four distributors, Bel'Export, Koen Vanherck, Vergro, and the Devos Group, market Corina pears. "That works well; we deliberately keep it divided that way."
"Most of the pears go to the UK and Scandinavia or stay in Belgium. The larger sizes mainly stay in Belgium, but the Corina is a smaller Conference variant. Most of the smaller sizes go to the UK, and some towards Scandinavia, but small volumes go all over Europe," Willy continues. "Spain has bought some, and France and Germany on the market, too."
The new season, therefore, started well for growers. "It's always nice when Corinas do so well. It's a fresh pear that comes right off the tree, and these pears are clearly gaining popularity. I hope it's the start of a great season. It's convenient for growers and traders because you don't have to store the pears. The prices you see, you get paid right away, and from here, they can now switch to Conference," Willy concludes.
For more information:
Willy Dillen
Corina Coordinator
Tel: +32 (0) 494 469 487
Email: [email protected]
