In Belgium, Conference pears reign supreme in volume and demand. However, recently, red pear varieties have increasingly come into their own. These include Early Desire (Gepa), a red pear that has gained its place in the market, says Louis De Cleene of the Devos Group. "We have an excellent crop and see more and more shoppers choosing red pears," he begins.
Early Desire
The Devos Group will market its first Early Desire pears of the season next week. "The crop looks outstanding. I can't put it any other way. We've had some bad luck in recent years with severe hail damage or cultivation problems. This is the first year everything's gone well during the growing season. There are very few rejects, and the harvest volume will total about 600 to 700 tons."
Quality-wise, too, the trader considers it the best season since growers began cultivating this variety. "They have a uniform shape, and in terms of flavor, we dare say they rival, even surpass any other red pear. Qtee is aesthetically the undisputed No. 1 in red pears, but the Early Desire's trump card is, surely, its flavor. They're juicy, sweet pears, so they seem well-liked by consumers," Louis explains.
Spot in the market
The Devos Group and Frupaks-Vernooij are exclusive Early Desire distributors. "We genuinely believe in these pears. That's why we've recently invested heavily in them. Planting such a large acreage of an unknown variety is undoubtedly risky. We've gradually expanded that in recent years and have now built up a good number of regular local and overseas sales lines."
"Together with those clients, we keep growing steadily every year. Also, many growers are still in the early stages of growing Early Desire, so volumes rise annually. This year's additional volumes are already well filled, but we also have enough to open new doors," Louis continues.
On the sales side, things are also, so far, going well for the red Early Desire. "Our producers say it's a productive, rewarding pear to cultivate, which has found its consumer niche. This year, the lower Southern European forecasts help. If availability is lower, people may, more likely, choose a different pear for once. Early Desires are slightly pricier than the regular varieties, but because of all its plusses, people seem willing to pay that bit more."
Asia Fruit Logistica
At the Devos Group, demand for these pears comes primarily from Europe. "We deliver mostly within Europe anyway, but this week, I had some calls from potential Asian customers. Red pears are popular in Asia," says De Cleene.
"We've 
displayed Early Desires at Asia Fruit Logistica, that's on this week before. Potential clients saw those and have asked about the possibilities. That's nice."
Photo right: Queens Forelle
"We'll have to see how that momentum develops. Volumes are higher yearly," Louis continues, "and demand also seems to grow. We're, thus, always looking for new markets."
"For now, we're very optimistic about the coming season. It starts next week; then, around February, we switch to the Queen's Forelle, which also looks fantastic. So, we can offer red pears from September until roughly late April," Louis concludes.
For more information:
Louis De Cleene
Devos Group
66 Eugeen Cools Street
3460, Bekkevoort, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 167 79 758
Email: louis@devosgroup.com
Website: www.devosgroup.com