Pear supplies out of Washington look to be down somewhat.
“We have a smaller crop of pears compared to last year and that is making some varieties a bit tighter on supplies than normal, including Bartlett pears,” says Brianna Shales with Wenatchee, Wa.-based Stemilt Growers. “We are now getting into our winter pear varieties, including Bosc, Red Pears and d’Anjou.”
Shales notes that supplies come from the Pacific Northwest. “Specifically, Stemilt’s Rushing Rivers® pears are grown in the Entiat and Wenatchee River Valleys of Washington State,” she says, adding that while harvest has ended for 2019-2020, the region had strong growing conditions that in turn, produced good-quality fruit. Meanwhile competing product is coming from other regions in Washington and Oregon as well as a bit left in the California crop.
December and pears
As for demand, Shales says that December always brings a big focus on pears. “World Pear Day is December 8 and it’s also National Pear Month,” she says. “The holidays are a great time for pear promotions, which are still warranted despite a smaller crop as we always want to keep reminding consumers to purchase pears.”
In fact, she says that bagged pears are a good opportunity to increase the purchase size of pears and notes that Stemilt offers a 3 lb. size in its Lil Snappers® kid-size fruit line. These pouch bags are an option for retailers who are interesting in building incremental pear sales and can help create a new generation of pear eaters, says Shales.
For more information:
Brianna Shales
Stemilt Growers LLC
Tel: +1 (509) 662-9667 1221
Brianna.Shales@stemilt.com
www.stemilt.com