"The pear season's start looked rosy, and pears sold early brought in good prices. Unfortunately, soon after that start, smaller pears came under huge pressure. These on-average smaller fruits caused disappointing middle prices, especially in Belgium," says Mark Vernooij of Urfruit.
"After five to six weeks of losses, the market recovered reasonably well, mainly because of rising demand from Eastern European countries. The northern countries with small local crops are also importing (more) again. Lucas pears still lag slightly for now, and we hope to see a recovery there soon, too."
"We're not yet at the desired level, given all the rising costs for cultivation, refrigeration, and trading companies. Everyone in Europe is talking about inflation, but that may well become somewhat more visible in the pear market. Our prices have changed little over the years, yet, sadly, costs have," notes the Dutch pear exporter.
"Considering the total harvest in kilograms, growers in the Netherlands harvested three percent more pears than last year. From a European perspective, that's a larger increase: 20% (WAPA). Italy and France are largely responsible for this substantial increase. After all, last year, these countries' pears had extreme frost damage."
Team Urfruit with Mark Vernooij on the right.
This year, the different cultivation regions' sizes differ considerably. Being able to irrigate was an important variable. "In those orchards where that wasn't an option, there's clearly a five to ten-millimeter average size difference," Mark continues. "To get as many large pears, and thus production per hectare as possible, some growers started harvesting later."
"Such batches' firmness needs extra attention to avoid disappointment when you open a cell. Flavor-wise, this year's product is fantastic. The warm summer weather increased the fruit's sugar concentration, resulting in deliciously sweet pears. The high sugars don't just make for rave reviews, though; it requires extra storage and shelf life attention," Mark concludes.
For more information:
Mark Vernooij
Urfruit
45 Marketing
6921 RE, Duiven, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 575 472 473
Email: m.vernooij@urfruit.nl
Website: www.urfruit.nl