Several years ago, the Belgian cooperative, the Limburgse Tuinbouw Veiling, introduced the completely red Me Amore pear to the market. "The Me Amore is a red variant of the Comice. We acquired the rights for this product for the Benelux region”, says the Limburgse Tuinbouw Veiling's Wilfried Jeurissen.
It is grown on an area of 11,5 hectare. This is gradually increasing, dependent on the product's market potential. "In terms of price, we ask and get great added value. This is because it is a premium product. This is needed as it has a low production per hectare. In the long run, we will have to determine how big the market will be without having to sacrifice the price."
Benelux
“The Me Amore's main sales market is the Benelux region. Sales to the Middle East, Scandinavia, and England are also being planned for in the long term", says Wilfried. “Despite the hot, dry summer, the pears are of a very good size."
"The main size is 80/85. This is certainly not disappointing. The Me Amore is not just a red pear. It is 100% red. This is in contrast to other 'red' pears, which are not 100% red.”
The Me Amore's popularity is growing. The strength of this poularity will, however, have to be proved in the long term. 'We have noticed that buyers who got the first volumes in previous years, are very keen to have these pears in their assortments this year again."
"This pear is not only a beautiful red color, it also tastes very good. The Me Amore is picked according to its color and taste. There are, of course, other red pears on the market. However, few have the same nice size, color, and taste", concludes Jeurissen.
For more information:
Wilfried Jeurissen
Limburgse Tuinbouw Veiling
1035 Industrieweg
3540 Herk-De-Stad - Belgium
+32 (0) 135 50 110
wilfried@ltv.be
www.ltv.be