The French pear sector was expecting a decent campaign, but it turned out even better than expected. Forecasts updated at the end of October/beginning of November predict a harvest of around 150,000 tons, compared to the 140,000 tons forecast by PrognosFruit last August. The quality of this year's harvest is remarkable. "The fruit is of excellent quality, both visually and in terms of taste, with particularly high sugar levels," explains Vincent Guérin of the French Apple Pear Association (ANPP).
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A late start to the season, offset by the succession of varieties
The pace of consumption remains slightly slow for the time being, due to a late start to the season. "At the end of summer, competition from stone fruit combined with weather that favored their consumption delayed the start of the season," explains Vincent Guérin. Although initial sales were a little sluggish, the season gradually got underway, helped by a regular succession of varieties, good production, and quality.
French orchards are diversifying, and the variety calendar is lengthening
Since new pear varieties have entered production in recent years, the variety dynamics in France have changed significantly. "The profile of pear campaigns is changing. The QTee variety, now well established in late summer/early autumn, has had the effect of extending the marketing of William pears, which will be available until December of this year. With the William variety still present, we are seeing a more gradual start to the Conference campaign, accompanied by the rise in popularity of the Fred variety.
This transformation of the orchard has led to a change in the supply calendar, with French pears available over a longer period and in a wider range of varieties. However, there is no commercial impact on the historic varieties. "The Guyot retains its early position, remaining the most popular pear on the shelf, and William is still one of the most popular varieties with consumers. The Conference is also very popular with consumers and remains a mainstay on the shelves. The new varieties do not replace them, but simply complete the range."
A stronger French presence, thanks to supermarkets
Varietal diversification is also helping to prolong the availability of the French origin on the domestic market, which is now supplied beyond the end of January. At the same time, French retailers are playing a crucial role in promoting French pears. "We carry out very precise surveys in the stores. Today, 90% of the pear references on the shelves are French," claims Vincent Guérin. This is a major commitment on the part of retailers, which helps to offset some of the competition from Northern Europe for certain varieties, often offered at lower prices.
Despite some traditional ups and downs linked to competing offers, prices remain "stable and balanced," helping to maintain a satisfactory economic framework for the sector. "Overall, the campaign is going rather well at the moment, and we hope that it will remain this way."
For more information:
Vincent Guérin
ANPP
[email protected]
