Pear Bureau Northwest has estimated a 13 per increase in pear production in the states of Oregon and Washington over last year with a total of 19.7 million 44lb boxes.
And the organisation is confident that this year's Pear Bureau marketing programs will move the larger crop. "We have a clean, good looking crop this year," said Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of the Pear Bureau Northwest. "We've already seen strong demand for Green and Red Bartlett and we're still very early in the season. The programs we have already set in place for winter varieties Anjou, Bosc, Comice, Seckel and Forelle will help us start out with strong crop movement as those varieties hit the market."
The harvest in Oregon and Washington is underway with Bartlett and other red summer pear varieties such as Starkrimson swiftly followed by Bosc and Comice before Anjou, Seckel and Forelle begin harvesting in early October.
US senders are hopeful of a favorable scenario for exports with the European pear crop down by 10 per cent this year and a weaker dollar. About 33 per cent of the north-west's crop is sold outside the US.
Key areas in this season's domestic marketing programs include a strong push for early crop movement, an extended number of varieties displayed in the pear category, and using key marketing periods such as Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day to increase sales for specific varieties.
Green Anjou, which has the largest volume of all varieties, is poised for continued growth due in part to increased consumer awareness of the different varieties of pears as well as the increasing number of retailers who are implementing ripe programmes. The programmes allow retailers to offer pears which will ripen more evenly and faster once in the home. The program addresses one of the key consumer issues that Anjou does not change colour as it ripens. This can create confusion and frustration among consumers who are used to a significant color change as with Bartlett or who want to consume their fruit immediately or within a day.
"The Ripe Program is one that we've been developing over the last couple of years and is supported by research and facts, not just our own observations which makes it a very strong program. It has been well received by many of the largest retailers in the nation," said Dennis James, director of marketing at the Pear Bureau.
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