China: 40% jump Nashi pear production

Hebei Champion Foodstuff is an exporter of Nashi pears to the EU, US, Canada, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. John Zhang is the director of the company. This season has witnessed a considerably larger production output. John Zhang explains: “compared to last season, total production has increased by 20%. Prices, however, declined. Reasons for this decline are a downturn of the Chinese economic market over summer, causing weaker demand, and big volumes of pears that have entered the market. In Hebei Province, for example, one of the biggest Ya pear producing Provinces, sales went down by 40%. Sales prices went down from 90 Yuan (€12.80) to 60 Yuan (€8.50) per 18 kilogram carton. Shipments to the EU decreased by 40%. This could be due to a weak Euro and a strong Yuan, which undermines our competitive position.”

The Netherlands and Belgium are pushing for developments of the Conference pear in China, which are slowly taking off. The slow start might have to do with the difference between traditional European pears such as the Bartlett, Conference and the Comice and Asian pear varieties. Nasi pears are crisp in texture and resemble apples in that they are ready to be eaten from the point that they are harvested. The fruit can be stored for up to six months and does not change texture after being picked or stored. European pears, on the contrary, are usually served soft and juicy and take about a week to ripen after removal from cold storage. Nashi pears are widely used in fresh juices during winter.

Nashi pears are grown in the North of China, in regions like Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi and Xinjiang. Most common Nashi varieties are the Su pear, Crown pear, Fengshui pear, Ya pear, Shinko pear, Yuanhuang pear and Fragrance pear. The harvest season runs from July until October, with a few early and late varieties.

For more information:

John Zhang
Hebei Champion Foodstuff
http://www.champion-foods.com/
Phone: 0086 138331038850086 13833103885 (John Zhang)
E-mail: [email protected]