The US pear industry is expecting a solid season in the UK and Europe this year, thanks to the exchange rate and forecasts for a smaller European crop.
Shippers will be sending 30,000 boxes of fruit to the UK and Ireland this year, said Jeff Correa, international marketing director at USA Pears.
“The cold spring has marked fruit this season, which is around 10 days later than usual, and the crop will be smaller - around 16.6 million boxes compared to 18.2m last year,” he said. “But prices will still be pretty high and European volumes are low, so that gives us an advantage. When we do well in Europe it is because the exchange rate and low European crop combine. Our prices have been high for the last few years.”
The US pear industry is trying to push its ripening programmes in the European market, in a bid to sell consumers pre-ripened pears and boost purchase frequency. “We are doing this in the US and are trying to roll it out across our export markets,” said Correa. “Lots of times you buy a pear and it is as hard as a rock. But younger consumers want instant gratification. We are looking to send the fruit to Europe to a middleman ripener, then introduce ethylene into the pears, cool them down and send them to the stores.
“In the US we have seen this increase consumer purchase frequency - consumers get a good eating experience and that increases turnover. Shoppers buy with their eyes but come back on taste.”
Other big markets for US Northwest pears include Latin America, Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia and India. Asian markets such as Taiwan and Hong Kong also take significant volumes.
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