Pear Marketing Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. Pears are a tasty and healthy fruit. That’s no secret. But educating consumers on how to really understand and use those benefits isn’t easy in the produce business.
CarrieAnn Arias, President and CEO at Pear Bureau Northwest, says colors and varieties can be a bit confusing …
ARIAS … “I mean Bosc is visibly different, right, so the russet changes your mindset. And I use it for very specific things. In fact, I was on a hunt this year because, you know, the Bosc crop is pretty light and that’s what I make my stuffing with. So, three grocery stores later, to have victory and find my Bosc pear, but it visually is different.”
And Arias says variety is one thing, but the different colors make things even more challenging …
ARIAS … “When you start getting into green-slash-yellow, right, they come together a little bit, but I mean a Bartlett looks really, really different than like a Comice. But then you get the red pears, and they are all in the same swimming pool. And I think part of it is consumers don’t understand it, certainly produce people should, but they definitely don’t seem to.”
So, Arias says red pears will be getting some much-needed attention …
ARIAS … “We have actually a campaign coming up to do education around red pears because we have had commentary of like, oh, what kind of an apple is that.”
To learn more about pears as well as some delicious recipes, go to their website at www.usapears.org
