Italian pears will be available for a couple more months, until the end of April. These include the Abate variety and the main winter varieties. The Williams variety is now in its final stages. "Despite the general drop in production in Italy in 2025, our inventory management ensures a continued supply for our customers until the last ten days of April," says Manuel Manfredi, director of the Opera La Pera Consortium. Therefore, consumers will still have access to quality Italian pears for a significant period of time."
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.com
The final production year proved to be a challenging one, marked by reduced yields. "However, we are starting off on a positive note this year: The Williams pear fared well and produced satisfactory yields overall. From a commercial standpoint, feedback was positive in both Italy and France despite increasing competitive pressure from other production areas. As we approach the end of the campaign, the destocking of the Williams pear will be complete by the beginning of March, opening the door for an additional two to three weeks of the Red Max Red Bartlett pear."
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comGeneral Manager Manuel Manfredi
The same cannot be said for the other varieties. To take a broader view, we need to start with data from the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA). In 2025, Italian pear production was about 25% lower than the previous year. Conversely, the rest of Europe witnessed only increases in production. These increases ranged from 32% in Belgium to 8% in the Netherlands, the two main producing countries in Europe. However, other countries saw a rise in production as well: Spain by 10%, and Poland and France by 10% and 2%, respectively. "Our Italian pears must compete with these countries, particularly in foreign markets, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain our market share," Manfredi points out. "We accomplish this through the quality and values of our supply, which is solid and guarantees our trading partners a high standard of service. We also leverage the strategic advantage of the Emilia-Romagna PGI pears, which identifies products from a designated area with certified quality characteristics."
The production challenge remains central to the future of periculture. "Our producers must perform miracles every year to cope with climate change, phytopathologies, and the withdrawal of active ingredients for orchard defense. These factors also caused the drop in yields in 2025. On a positive note, we produced enough to cover two more months of the sales period. During this time, we will try to maximize our members' efforts," the director concluded.
For more information:
Opera - Società Cooperativa Agricola
Via Bruno Tosarelli, 155
40055 Villanova di Castenaso (BO) - Italy
+39 051 780201
[email protected]
www.operalapera.it
