"Pear prices have done nothing but climb for a long while. Last week, though, some of that was clearly skimmed off for sorted fruit. Larger Conference pear prices fell by about €0.10. We believe that was directly caused by, not so much a decreased demand, but rather, an increased supply," begins Mark Vernooij of Urfruit in the Netherlands.
"As of January 1, 2024, the Dutch pear stock, according to AMI figures, was 209.7 million kg. That's roughly three percent more than in the same period last year. And December sales were three percent down on those of the same time the previous year."
"Before the turn of the year, the mood was very optimistic, and many people intended to sell their fruit later. The continuous rising prices obviously drove that. However, fruit is and remains perishable; waiting can affect a batch's rejection rate. That and the high storage costs meant more and more growers decided to sell some of their stock in January," says Mark.
"Many pears pass over our sorting lines daily, but unfortunately, increasingly more are being processed too late. Everyone naturally wants maximum returns for their company, but in a year like this with actual nice prices, they must keep monitoring their fruit well."
"As is often said, a cold store isn't a hospital. Pears don't come out better than they went in. The first pears from the southern hemisphere will arrive next week at good prices. Those are generally quite a lot better than those of Conference pears. Those arrivals shouldn't immediately affect European pear prices," Mark explains.
"We ran the last Lucassen of this season, which exceeded expectations, yesterday. Prices for these pears have never been as high. That's a nice boost for growers who, along with kilo yields per hectare, delivered very satisfactory results."
"Like every year, we now switch those lines to Xenia. There used to be a significant price difference," says Vernooij. "But these products are, surprisingly, close in price this year."
"Sales are quite stable, particularly in retail channels. In open markets, where people use daily prices more, demand and sales fluctuate more. These day market changes are mainly due to falling auction prices in Belgium. The mood seems more reserved for the coming period. A possible increase in demand from Eastern Europe could boost that. If that doesn't happen, there's a real chance that next month will be slightly less positive than the last. Long-term predictions are still difficult, with the pears' shelf life being an essential variable," concludes Mark.
For more information:
Mark Vernooij
Urfruit
45 Marketing
6921 RE, Duiven, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 575 472 473
m.vernooij@urfruit.nl
www.urfruit.nl