The fourth Q-Tee season kicks off on 9 August. The harvest is 10% up on last year, with a potential of around 3,300 tonnes of pears. "Although the weather conditions were not in our favor and we were expecting higher volumes, the harvest is starting to be promising. We are satisfied with the quality of the fruits, even though we may have difficulty achieving the desired size. We're hoping to finish the season in mid-November, for a three-month campaign," says Stéphane Vieira, manager of the Q-Tee brand.
220 hectares of orchards by 2030
The production potential should increase by 30% each year until 2030 thanks to a dynamic planting program: "We started the planting program in 2017, which will end next year. We will then have 220 hectares of orchards. Following this first planting program, we will give ourselves time to reflect and analyze the market before potentially launching a second one".
89% satisfaction rate
If the club, marketers and growers have high hopes for this new variety, it's because it meets a need for novelty within a sector that was only a few years ago losing ground: "France produces 130,000 tonnes of pears for an annual consumption of 200,000 tonnes. This is a completely different variety from the traditional ones on the market. It brings novelty to a sector that saw very little varietal innovation, and with an aging consumer base (70% of consumers are over 50). It differs from pears that are eaten softly, being both juicy and fruity. It has the advantage of being a melt-in-the-mouth snack. Q-tee performs well in terms of taste and consumer appreciation, as shown by the sensory analysis test carried out with CTIFL, which resulted in a product satisfaction rate of 89%. It's one of those new varieties of pear that are going to be a game changer and bring freshness to the shelves".
A pear with the ambition of satisfying all its stakeholders
Although it meets a need, the challenge remains considerable: "It's always a bit tricky to launch a new variety on the market, especially a pear. It can be eaten in many different ways, some people like it melting, others crunchy, fruity, or sweeter, so we have to make sure we satisfy as many consumers as possible. Today, buying a pear for a certain segment of consumers is a spontaneous act. We need to get consumers to develop a loyalty to these new varieties. On the production side, there has been a disappointment in recent years in arboriculture, a difficult business subject to the vagaries of the market but also the weather. One of the advantages of the Q-Tee is that it can be put to fruit fairly quickly, from the second year of planting, which means that costs are amortized and the return on investment is quicker. The yield per hectare is also attractive for an early variety, at between 40 and 50 tonnes. Our aim with this new variety is to satisfy distributors, consumers, and growers alike.
Photo: Wouters France
For more information:
Stéphane Vieira
Wouters France
Email: [email protected]