Pear Estimate. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

This year seems to be off to a good start when it comes the pear crop according to Kevin Moffitt with Pear Bureau Northwest.

MOFFITT: The industry put together the first estimates for the fresh pear crop last week at our annual meetings and it looks to be a good sized crop, the fifth largest in our history but down 6% from last years record crop. Probably 2% above a 5-year average.

Moffitt talks about some of the factors in the smaller crop.

MOFFITT: After a huge crop last year there’s going to be some cyclicity to the bearing, to the trees - be a little resting. For example the Bosc crop is usually quite a cyclical crop. Up one year, down the next. It’s down 14% from last year so those trees for example are taking a good rest. You know again it’s off of last years huge crop but 2% above a 5-year average.

And while it is a good estimate it is early in the game.

MOFFITT: It is early. There’s a lot of weather between now and harvest but we’re through the main frost season; came through without much of an issue. I guess there had been some fire blight situations in some areas but again manageable. We’ll see. A long time before harvest but right now it looks pretty good.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.