A substantial number of European countries supply the UK pear market. Spain, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Italy, France and Germany all enter the fray at some point during their season and while it may be apples that capture most of the top-fruit headlines, European pear production is considerable.
According to latest Prognosfruit figures, total EU production will weigh in at 1.5 million tonnes in 2005/06, a four per cent drop on the previous season. Spain is the EU’s biggest producer, and unlike some other countries, is forecast to increase its crop by nine per cent to 573,000t. Of the new member states, Poland is the biggest producer but has seen a fall of 25 per cent to 65,000t.
Overall European pear production may be down this season but suppliers are confident they can still blaze a trail with the new crop. The Conference variety in particular enjoys a strong following.
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apple & Pears (EAP), has reported good early sales for the UK crop, which kicked off at the beginning of October. “It’s early days but we’ve sold about 40 per cent more Conference compared to the same time last year,” he told FPJ in early November.
UK pear production in 2005 shows some differences to last year. Recent figures reveal Conference production is forecast at 25,000t, Comice 2,500t and Concorde 2,000t.
According to Barlow, there will be a smaller crop of all three varieties in 2005/06. He notes a significant 50 per cent drop in Comice output this season and the Concorde crop is down 20 per cent. “Total output is dominated by the Conference variety so overall, we’re only slightly down on last year,” he notes.
Sainsbury’s apple and pear buyer Neil Gibson reports that UK pears have been of top quality this season and notes that 75-80 per cent of the Conference crop has achieved Class I grading, compared to last year’s 60-65 per cent.
“At Sainsbury’s this year, we were able to run through August with full availability of Conference which meant that we started the English season in a strong position,” he says.
Sainsbury’s has enjoyed considerable success with its recent campaign linking UK apples and pears. “We sold 100 per cent English Conference for the first six weeks of the season and six weeks in we have sold more English Conference pears than any other retailer,” Gibson says.
“This was achieved through linked promotions with Cox and increasing the space allocated in stores to the variety.”
In line with its new slogan, ‘Try Something New Today’, the retailer also ran an adverting campaign suggesting that customers try Conference pears with Gorgonzola cheese to support the launch of English pears.
While many UK consumers may prefer to buy domestic fruit when it is in season, Barlow notes that a number of popular varieties are grown abroad. “Rocha pears from Portugal have established a niche sector in the market and there’s little Williams grown in the UK.”
Barlow further notes that there is little taste differential between top quality imported pears and British product.
The Netherlands and Belgium are two of the largest pear exporters to the UK. Dutch exporters are reporting a good start to the season and believe the best is yet to come. Growers began harvesting in October and this season’s crop forecast is for 10 per cent lower volume than last year.
“The lower volumes are because of frost injury to pears in the north of the Netherlands and slightly smaller fruits,” says Annie van de Riet of the Greenery. “However, we expect an unchanged or maybe even a slight increase in exports to the UK compared to last season because of the smaller UK harvest.”
While the Dutch are major suppliers to the UK, exporters note that the market’s stringent demands mean that quality has to be of the highest order to pass the grade.
“The UK is still the number one country for Dutch pear exports, especially for better quality pears,” says van de Riet. “The market appears to be rather stable.”
Dutch firm Fruitmasters is one such exporter hoping to increase sales to the UK this season. The firm supplies Conference and Comice pears and notes that the best time to strike is when domestic pears are out of the market. Dutch pear shipments gain momentum around November/December with sales gathering force in January and February.
Currently, Dutch Conference pears are enjoying favour in Russia and Scandinavia, says Gibson, adding that while the Conference crop is slightly down, Brix levels and eating quality are better than last year.
Belgium is another significant producer of Conference pears and this season’s new crop will make the country the second biggest producer in the EU.
According to estimates by Prognosfruit, Belgian production this year will be 188,000t. Conference pears grown in Belgium are elongated, offering the traditional pear shape.
“We are convinced that we have to focus on Conference as our climate is perfect for this variety,” claims Vlam’s Leen Guffens. “Spain has tried to produce Conference, but the climate is too warm.”
While organic production may not be a big concern for most of Belgium’s pear growers, Guffens notes that they are mindful of using environmentally friendly techniques.
“Growers will only spray if necessary and if no biological solutions, such as predator insects, can be used,” she says.
France also eyes the UK market with interest and its pear crop is formidable, with volumes estimated to reach 230,000t this season. During the summer months, Sopexa ran a campaign for French pears, emphasising the taste of the Guyot variety, as well as Williams pears.
Producers believe that Guyot provides a sound alternative to end of season Packham pears from South Africa. This season’s French summer exports ran until the end of October.
While there are some differences in the varieties produced in Europe, industry executives are united when faced with an age old problem - how to market pears.
“With pears, there are enormous challenges in how to get a pear to meet everyone’s taste,” says Barlow. “Half of the population likes a crunchy pear, the other prefers soft pears. The danger is that whatever you supply, some of the population is going to be dissatisfied.”
While pears may not make the same splash as apples, the UK remains a strong outlet for European supplies.
GREEFA TAKES SOFTER APPROACH
Dutch technology firm Greefa has been working in close collaboration with several overseas growers to develop the Gentle Bin Filler (GBF). This machine can be used for Conference and Williams pears, Jonagold and Golden Delicious apples and other round and long-shaped fruit.
According to Greefa, the GBF has a sophisticated design and is very fruit-friendly as product is handled as carefully as possible in order to prevent bruising and loss.
Other advantages of the GBF include its easy cleaning and as it uses little space, this could be a key priority for smaller players.
Greefa believes that the GBF can be even more efficient when used in combination with one of its sorting machines. “The advantage is that through data exchange, the weight of the bin can be accurately determined and fruit won’t be sent to the filler when the bin is full or no empty bin is available,” says the firm.
The GBF was originally marketed in the US, where the company has sold 35 machines. Some have also been sold in Europe and several of the bin fillers are being tested by UK clients.
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