The European pear crop is forecast to make a good recovery on last year’s historic low, with an increase of some 16 per cent in the crop.
The figures were released at last week’s Prognosfruit conference in Maastricht, hosted by the Dutch Produce Association and the Dutch Fruit Growers’ Association.
Total estimated pear output is expected to rise to 2.521 million tonnes, which is some two per cent up on the three-year average. The biggest gains are made by Conference, which accounts for a third of pears in Europe and sees a massive climb in output to 856,000t across the 27 member states of the EU.
Italy, by far the EU’s largest producer of pears, is forecast to experience an eight per cent recovery in volume to 817,000t. Meanwhile, Belgium and the Netherlands - both major sources for the UK pear market - are forecast to produce crops of 281,000t and 311,000t respectively. Both of these forecasts show significant recovery from 2008: a 65 per cent rise in the case of Belgium and 81 per cent for the Netherlands. The UK pear crop is also expected to rise: from 23,000t last year to 31,000t this season.
Rocha pear volumes from Portugal are one of the few to show a slight decline this year at 180,000t, compared to 184,000t last season. Williams is also forecast to achieve slightly lower output in 2009 than in 2008 at 296,000t, while Abate Fetel is expected to see its volumes recover 12 per cent on 2008 to 277,000t.
According to the World Apple & Pear Association, elsewhere in the northern hemisphere, pear growers are also forecasting increases on 2008. In the US, the crop is likely to rise by eight per cent and in Turkey by two per cent.
However, in the Ukraine the crop is expected to be down by five per cent and in China by a massive 25 per cent. Association president Alessandro Dalpiaz said: “Developments in Russia, the EU’s most important export market outlet, will be crucial for the success of the coming campaign.”
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