Migo is the brand name of pear variety Cepuna, a cross between Conference and the French pear variety Doyenné d’Hiver. The starting point for finding a new variety was the need for a sweet, good-flavoured pear that doesn’t drip as much and has a longer shelf life. A pear that can be eaten on the road. Cepuna was first planted in 2014, and has been commercially available under the Migo name since last year. The global manufacturing rights of the club variety are owned by EFC. In the Netherlands, Migo is exclusively marketed by Fruitmasters and grown by Fruitmasters growers. BelOrta is the Belgian partner. Outside of the Netherlands and Belgium, the pear is also grown in Germany and Austria by now, and it’s currently being planted in the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland.
Conference is the pear eaten most often in the Benelux, while Comice is beloved because of its sweet flavour and juiciness. “With Migo we want to tap into a new public,” says Leonard Kampschöer from Fruitmasters. “The club variety is as easy to grow as Conference, but has a completely different flavour and other uses,” Leonard says.
“Migo is crunchy, doesn’t drip and has a sweet flavour. Besides, its smooth appearance differs from Conference and Comice pears. We focus on everyone choosing convenience and wanting to eat pears like they eat apples. A pear as a snack on the road is a strong addition to the current product supply. Migo is positioned as ‘the Friendly Pear,’ which can be eaten anytime and anywhere, but the pear can also easily be used in salads, for example.”
High hopes new season
Conference’s smooth little brother is harvested in September, and is then placed in storage. Migo is in the shops from 2 November. This year, the Dutch season is started with a campaign on national television. “Last year, many people were introduced to Migo. Fourteen European formulas took the pear into their assortment then. We’re now hoping to reach an even larger public. Migo will be on the shelves of 20 formulas this season.”
The European brand is widely presented in its target markets, including the Benelux, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. According to Leonard, the Netherlands and Belgium are frontrunners with Migo, but other countries are also increasingly interested.
The expectations for the coming season are positive. This year there are fewer Comice pears available, which offers good chances for Migo, according to Leonard. “This pear meets wishes of the Comice lovers. It’s a crunchy pear with the sweet Comice flavour, and it can be eaten without dripping.” The yield of the Migo pears is as expected this season, with normal volumes as a result of irrigation. Leonard says the quality of the pears is also good. The total European yield is expected to amount to 2.1 million kilos this year.
In coming years, GKE and partners hope to continue building the market for Migo. In the short term, production will grow to ten million kilos. In the long term, they hope for an annual production of 20 million kilos. Migo, like Conference, is an easy-to-grow variety, with the added advantage of fewer small-sized pears. The majority of the pears are sizes 65 to 85, so that thinning only has to happen based on quality. For now, Migo is only grown and marketed in Europe. Leonard: “Marketing a new brand takes time. Once the brand has been established, we can start looking at further development, but for now, Europe will continue to be a growth market. We did send the pear to Asia. They responded positively to the pear, which makes us feel positive about Migo’s future. With Migo, our buyers have a wonderful new product on hand that meets their customers’ wishes.”
For more information:
Leonard Kampschöer
Fruitmasters
Email: [email protected]
