After many years without a dedicated national event, the French pear sector will be meeting on June 4th, 2026, at the CTIFL center in La Morinière for a technical day organized in partnership with Felcoop, FNPFruits, ANPP, and GEFEL. Open to all players in the sector - from production to distribution - this event will be attended by up to 300 participants who will take stock of developments in French pear orchards, share the latest technical advances and results of studies carried out on pear trees, and discuss the future prospects for French pears.
© CTIFL
French pear orchards back on track
"There has not been a national pear day for at least a decade, so it was time to organize one," explains Claude Coureau, head of Apple and Pear Products and of the Durability of Technical Routes in Arboriculture unit at CTIFL. The event comes at a pivotal time for the sector. "After two decades marked by a steady decline in the area planted with pear trees, the trend seems to be reversing, with the area planted increasing again over the last four or five years. Many hectares have been planted, notably with new varieties, especially in the two-tone pear segment."
A number of new varieties are set to arrive on the market, including Q-Tee, Sweet Sensation, and Xenia, as well as Kiara, bred by INRA in Angers. This dynamism is all the more interesting at a time when France is still dependent on imports. "It is important to remember that we are not self-sufficient in pears. The aim is to be able to offer more French pears to consumers."
State of the orchards, consumption, and taste expectations
The morning will be devoted to a number of conferences aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the sector. The first of these will look at the growth in the area under cultivation and the prospects for the new plantations due to come into production shortly. Against a backdrop of "declining sales of pears," the question of consumption will also be addressed, based on Worldpanel data. Consumer expectations will also be analyzed from a taste perspective. "A colleague specializing in sensory analysis will be presenting the results of three years' work on preference mapping. This work gives us a better understanding of the taste profiles sought by consumers."
A round table discussion will then bring together producers, distributors, and processors to consider the sector's roadmap for the coming years. The morning will conclude with a more technical presentation on the impact of climate change, particularly on the cooling requirements of pear trees and the phenological disturbances observed when winters are too warm.
Three technical workshops to round off the discussions
The afternoon will be devoted to practical workshops organized in small groups. Participants will be able to attend three themed sessions in succession. "The first workshop will be devoted to combating psyllids, a major pest of pear trees. The second will look at the various methods of orchard management, with a field trip organized in partnership with the regional station at La Pugère, near Cavaillon. Finally, a third workshop will look at strategies for extending the shelf life of pears, with a focus on post-harvest techniques."
For more information:
Cécile Colla
CTIFL
[email protected]
Registration: https://www.ctifl.fr/journee-nationale-poire
