Washington's pear crop will likely be larger than what was anticipated at the beginning of the season. As growers move into the latter part of the season, they're finding consumer demand this year to be good.“Demand has been pretty great,” said Sky Johnson of Borton Fruit. “Volume estimates this year have increased this season, and we see that with the amount of Bartletts we're moving this year.” Early estimates put this year's Washington pear crop at 18.7 million boxes, but the estimate was updated to 20.2 million boxes once harvesting was underway. Though that would put production below last year's crop, it's still slightly above the five-year average for the state. Part of the reason for good yields this year has been good weather, which has also helped with quality.
“With the good weather, we're seeing great sugar in the fruit,” said Johnson. “Sizing has also been on the larger side.” With good quality and strong demand, prices have also been good.
“Pricing has been relatively strong,” said Johnson. “We have been very happy with where prices have been.” At the end of last week, prices were mostly between $24.00 and $26.00 for a carton of Bartlett pears, while Anjou pears commanded higher prices, mostly between $26.00 and $30.00 per carton.
For more information:
Sky Johnson
Borton Fruit
+1 509 966 3905