With harvest in full swing throughout the four growing regions of the Pacific Northwest, the pear industry is releasing the first official estimate of the 2021-22 fresh pear crop for Washington and Oregon. The industry’s fresh pear estimate is 16.1 million standard box equivalents, which is very close to a four-year average.
“Pear growers are reporting an excellent quality crop this season with some saying it is the best they have seen in a decade,” stated Kevin Moffitt, President and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW). “The fruit finish for this year’s pear crop is outstanding with beautiful shape and high sugars. These attributes make for remarkable eating quality leading to a high level of consumer satisfaction. There will be a full range of sizes available, including popular large-sized fruit, smaller sizes to fill the trendy pouch bags, as well as sizes to fulfill export market demand. Our team has been working hard to get good, effective promotions up and running to get the season off to a strong start. Retailers are engaged and optimistic about the pear season, as is our team and the sales organizations we have coordinated with during recent strategy calls.”
Harvest started in early August for summer varieties like Starkrimson and Bartletts across all regions, with growers beginning to pick Bosc, Green and Red Anjou within the next two weeks. Specialty pears like Comice, Seckel, Forelle and Concorde pears will be available in September to add an array of unique and flavorful pear choices for shoppers.
The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1.94 million standard boxes, which is nearly 12% of the total projected Northwest crop.
“The industry is passionate about providing consumers with the best possible eating experience,” stated Moffitt. “To meet consumer demands for sweet and juicy pears to enjoy 1 to 3 days from purchase, the industry continues to expand and promote the conditioning program, which is proven to increase retail sales and enhance the consumer eating experience.” Moffitt continued.
PBNW Lead Regional Marketing Manager Bob Catinella added, “With strong momentum out of the gate, this season is off to a great start. We have a strong promotion plan in place and retailers have shown initial enthusiasm towards implementing pear promotions in-store and online.”
For more information
Neil Ferguson
Pear Bureau Northwest
Tel: (503) 652-9720
Email: nferguson@usapears.com