NW Pears in 2024 Pt 1

NW Pears in 2024 Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. 2024 was a rough year for Northwest pear growers seeing their lowest production in nearly 40 years.

But, a little more than five months into her new job as Pear Bureau Northwest’s President and CEO, CarrieAnn Arias says she’s still happy to be here …

ARIAS … “It’s been great! I’m very fortunate. I have an awesome team that I inherited so that’s been fantastic. And having a lot of board support because I’ve had to make a lot of changes along the way and learning about, not only the industry, but how the organization has worked over these past years. A lot of assessment and time to kind of sift through everything. But it’s been good. I’m having a great time.”

The challenges became apparent, Arias says before she even took charge …

ARIAS … “So, it’s been interesting. When I started, actually before I even started, I sat in on a meeting to hear the ultimate doom and gloom. 8 million boxes, it was like the worst crop in, since what, 1985. Thankfully, it has not been as bad as what was originally anticipated.”

Arias says 10.6 million boxes is still 31% below the five-year average …

ARIAS … “We certainly have seen tough yield in some locations and better than average yields in others. Mother

Nature, she’s doing whatever she wants.”

Listen tomorrow for more on a rough year for Northwest pear production.

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