Growth opportunity for British pears

British farmers have a huge opportunity to profit from pear production as retailers look to sell more home-grown produce, growers at an East Malling conference this week have been told.

With Sainsbury’s pledging to double the amount of British food it sells by 2020, product technologist Theresa Huxley said the mood of the pear industry has significantly changed since the last conference. “The fact the meeting was so well attended reflects that,” she said.

Robert Hinge, of A Hinge & Sons, said for those willing to wait for orchards to mature, pear production avoided the “saturation point” that the apple sector is approaching.