According to an expert, the new Italian market season for the Italian pear is going as expected, regardless of the competition coming from the Conference variety – which is produced in the Benelux area and is marketed at low prices.
Except for the William and the Max Red Bartlett varieties, the Italian production is lower compared to 2017. The production of the traditional varieties decreased by 1-19% in terms of volumes.
Abate is the most demanded variety. It has lower prices than in 2017 because of the said competition coming from the Benelux’s Conference variety. In addition, the recent European climate did not facilitate the consumption of pears.
Kaiser is scarcely demanded, especially by foreign markets. However, the marketing calendar for this variety usually kicks off later than for the other pears. Therefore, it should be going at full speed starting from January 2019 onwards.