Pear Exports Pt 2

Pear Exports Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. Export markets for Northwest pears will be, in great part, closer to home with Mexico and Canada looking to be even greater trading partners.

Kevin Moffitt, president of Pear Bureau Northwest, says Asian markets for pears just aren’t as strong as they are for say cherries and apples …

MOFFITT … “We face a lot of competition from Chinese pears themselves. They grow a non-European variety pear that people are more used to, called apple pears, as you know. And sometimes, because they look like an apple, they kind of eat like an apple. And so, and Anjou pear needs to be a little bit soft to get juicy and sweet and that isn’t necessarily what they like, mouth-feel wise, when they’re having a piece of fruit.”

So, Moffitt says closer to home will be key, but not the only markets …

MOFFITT … “Our biggest strength is going to be in the Western Hemisphere, will be. That’s been the opportunity and we continue to see that as the opportunity. But we will not give up on markets in India, the Middle East still pulls a lot of fruit. Right now, we’re just tight on the transportation, but that will come back. Those markets will come back when this transportation issue resolves itself, which it will.”

But for now, Moffitt says it’s pricey …

MOFFITT … “I heard today, $14,000 a container to go from here to the East Coast in some cases depending on the day of the week and from where you’re shipping it. So anyway, those costs continue to go up. We need to continue to have good prices for the grower.”

Moffitt says this year with the crop we have, domestic marketing will be the real opportunity.

Previous ReportPear Exports Pt 1
Next ReportClean Your Apples Pt 1