Is it a plum, is it a pear?

The UK trade is set to be tempted with pears that taste like plums as New Zealand producers get set to launch their latest innovations.

Allan White, a fruit-breeding specialist with HortResearch, said they have a number of exciting new varieties under development.

“We’ve got pears with plum flavours and tropical fruit flavours and we’re selling the licences for production now through Prevar,” he said.

At the moment, he estimates it will be three to four years before the fruit begins to hit the market, with significant volume arriving in five years.

In the meantime, he said that Prevar and HortResearch will be showcasing the fruit to the UK industry. “We’re aiming to bring over some cartons around May and take them around the industry, visiting retailers and fruit companies to build up a profile and stimulate some interest.”

White is also confident of growing UK success for the Yunnan red pear from China. HortResearch has developed a commercialisation programme with the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Science and this summer shipped 300 cartons of the fruit to the UK market.

At the moment, production is limited to 400 tonnes, but with 2,000 hectares now planted, volumes are expected to rise significantly over the next few years as the trees mature.

“We’ve been sending the fruit to the UK market for three years now, and the feedback we’ve been getting has been excellent.”