Best in a Decade? Northwest Pear Growers Eye 16 Million Carton Crop

Posted by Thomas Skernivitz|September 10, 2021

With harvest in full swing throughout the four pear-growing regions of the Pacific Northwest, the industry is releasing the first official estimate of the 2021-2022 fresh pear crop for Washington and Oregon. The industry’s fresh pear estimate is 16.1 million standard box equivalents, which is very close to the four-year average.

“Pear growers are reporting an excellent quality crop this season, with some saying it is the best they have seen in a decade,” Kevin Moffitt, President and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW), said. “The fruit finish for this year’s pear crop is outstanding, with beautiful shape and high sugars. These attributes make for remarkable eating quality, leading to a high level of consumer satisfaction. There will be a full range of sizes available, including popular large-sized fruit, smaller sizes to fill the trendy pouch bags, as well as sizes to fulfill export market demand. Our team has been working hard to get good, effective promotions up and running to get the season off to a strong start. Retailers are engaged and optimistic about the pear season, as are our team and the sales organizations we have coordinated with during recent strategy calls.”

Harvest started in early August for summer varieties, such as ‘Starkrimson’ and ‘Bartlett’, across all regions, with growers beginning to pick ‘Bosc,’ ‘Green Anjou’, and ‘Red Anjou’ within the next two weeks. Specialty pears, such as ‘Comice’, ‘Seckel’, ‘Forelle’, and ‘Concorde’, will be available in September to add an array of unique and flavorful pear choices for shoppers.

The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1.94 million standard boxes, which is nearly 12% of the total projected Northwest crop.

“The industry is passionate about providing consumers with the best possible eating experience,” Moffitt said. “To meet consumer demands for sweet and juicy pears to enjoy 1 to 3 days from purchase, the industry continues to expand and promote the conditioning program, which is proven to increase retail sales and enhance the consumer eating experience.”