This week has been sweltering in Europe. In the Netherlands, there are even reports of, possibly, the first-ever September heat wave. Wonderful for some, but it coincides precisely with Belgian Conference pear harvesting. That is not only an issue for the pickers, it could cause some problems for the pears' quality. "It's usually this hot in July or August, not September. That could be problematic," begins Bert Morren, a grower at Fruitbedrijf Morren.
This Belgian company mainly cultivates pears on some 15 hectares and looks forward to a nice season. "The Conference pears are looking great. Their sizes are good, and their quality is excellent. Depending on the plot, there's slight roughening, and the pears in the lower plots are somewhat bronzer the usual."
"But they're still generally as large or 50% larger than last year. Yields are also decent. Here, too, it varies per plot. Some yield less than others, but still between 35 and 45 tons, which is quite normal. All in all, everything's going well for now," says Bert.
He began harvesting his Conference pears on August 30, and this week's weather is the only thing that could still upset the apple cart. "We started a little earlier than initially expected, but rather that than too late. And with the current heat, I don't think that was a bad choice. Generally, the pears are still green."
"However, if the weather stays this way for a while or gets even warmer, it could cause problems. It's still manageable in the morning, but by the afternoon, the temperature shoots up. That could cause the pear heads to take on a yellow hue. We'll have to wait and see; that could be the only blotch on a fantastic year," Bert explains.
And things have undoubtedly started well for Belgian Conference pears. "Prices are significantly higher than last year. This week was the second sale at BelOrta, and prices were still excellent. They were slightly lower than the first sale, but that's normal. Even the smaller sizes are in unusually high demand. That also means there's little price difference in the various sizes. That differs only €0.05 between the 55, 60, and 65 millimeters. That's certainly unprecedented. Hopefully, it stays that way, but I'm optimistic."
Sissired sold well
The company also cultivates Sissired and Jonagored apples. As summer apples, the Sissired sales are already over. "Those are now all sold, and those sales ran a bit smoother than last year. That 
was mostly because they arrived on an empty market," says Morren.
"Plus, they were of great quality this season. The cold nights and sufficient rainfall did them well," admits Bert, "making it, generally, a super marketing season."
And that was most welcome since the grower's other apples did not fare as well. "It's hard to say if the Jonagoreds will color nicely."
"We won't start picking until around September 21. I don't expect much from them, though. I'm curious to see if they'll sell a little better than last year. For now, I'm putting my eggs in the pear basket for this season," Bert concludes.
Photos: ©www.straffestreek.be
For more information:
Bert Morren
Fruitbedrijf Morren
6 Groen Street
3470, Kortenaken, BE
Tel: +32 (0) 474 764 669
Email: fruitmorren@outlook.com
Website: www.streekproductenmorren.be