Pears Challenges in 2021 Pt 1
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. The challenges of the past year for agriculture are no secret. Everyone, at every level, has been impacted, including our Northwest Pear growers, packers and shippers.
Kevin Moffit, president of Pear Bureau Northwest, says it was difficult in so many ways and, frankly, just seemed to keep piling on …
MOFFITT … “During the last season, our crop year which would be 2020-2021, so August through July, started out with a fairly short crop, which is positive because we didn’t have as much fruit to move because we’re having so many issues with, say, exports were low for so many reasons and supply chain issues, container issues, you know, the prices of transportation has just been increasing dramatically.”
But for some, Moffitt says there were positives …
MOFFITT … “So, by the time we got into the late season last year, say March, April, when they were finishing up, the pricing was pretty good, frankly. But, if you don’t have the fruit, it’s a small crop, not everybody has that much fruit, and so those who had fruit had a pretty good year.”
But as the year went on, Moffitt says more challenges came calling …
MOFFITT … “And then we got into setting the new crop in April while they’re still selling the old crop, and then we got that June heat wave. So, that was our next hurdle to overcome. So, as we were finishing last year, we got hit with some issues that are going to affect us in the season that we’re selling now.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on the 2020/21 crop year for Northwest Pears and what’s happening with prices and expenses.
