Domestic pear supplies are up this year creating an opportunity to promote pears well into summer.
“We are excited to support summer pear programs this year,” says Cat Gipe-Stewart, communications manager with Superfresh Growers, based in Yakima, WA. She notes that the Northwest pear crop is up 14 percent from last year and organic availability has nearly doubled. (Superfresh Growers’ pear crop is approximately 35 percent organic.)
That means Superfresh is supporting pear promotions in both conventional and organic supply. “With organics being up this crop, Superfresh Growers has promotable volume of Organic Green and Red Anjou and Organic Bosc. Our Red Anjou volume grew this year, and we have promotable volume to support US Pear Bureau’s Aisle of Red Pears (“I love red pears”) campaign going through February,” she says.
Overall, the 2021 Pacific Northwest pear crop came in at 17.8 million boxes, a notable 14 percent increase from the 2020 crop and sizing similar to the year before. “The 2021 harvest started in late July starting with organic and conventional Bartlett pears in the lower valley areas near our headquarters in Yakima. The season finished with later varieties in our more northern orchards near the Canadian border,” she says.
Varietal notes
Currently, Superfresh is selling Red and Green Anjou, Bosc and Bartlett pears, and Gipe-Stewart says it will still have organic Anjou and organic Bosc into spring. “Winter seasonal varietals like Concord, Forelle and Comice are done for the season,” she says. “We had a healthy organic Asian pear supply this year, which was up 100 percent, but are sold out until the 2022 harvest.”
Regional demand with volume was up 29 percent in East South Central U.S. in December, and West South Central U.S. was up 23 percent. East North Central U.S. was up 10 percent.
As for pricing, as with many commodities, recent pricing was up with pears averaging $1.81/lb, up 12 percent year-over-year, for December. “U.S. inflation is affecting pear prices like it is across the produce department. We are seeing category dollars rise, with volume relatively flat, pointing to inflation and rising retails,” says Gipe-Stewart.
Looking ahead, this month Superfresh is promoting Red Anjous and in March, promotions will be on Bosc, Red and Bartlett. And on organic pears, Gipe-Stewart says Superfresh will have organic volume available into the spring and conventional supplies into July which touches the 2022 harvest.
For more information:
Catherine Gipe-Stewart
Superfresh Growers
Tel: +1 (509) 966-1814
[email protected]
www.superfreshgrowers.com