Although there were reasonable concerns about the upcoming Belgian pear harvest for a long time, Christophe Van Haelst is more positive about the Conference. "In some regions it doesn't look optimal, but we can still achieve 80 to 90 per cent of the harvest. In general, volumes might be a touch lower, but we rather have a bit less than too much," says the grower and trader of VHM Fruit Trade from Verrebroek, Flanders.
"I think we can speak of a 'normal' harvest," Christophe continues. "It is not as bad in Belgium as previously outlined. In the Netherlands, things seem to go reasonably well. Italy also shows better results than last year. In Spain, there is one region where there are real problems, but otherwise they will also have a fine harvest. It is certainly not a bad harvest, and the quality is not bad either. We will still see some spots here and there, but most of the damage from the hail has grown out. It is a product that we can still sell just fine as class I, except for a few parts that were really hit hard by the hail."
Christophe expects to start picking the earliest Conference around 19 August. "It has been adjusted a bit. At first, we thought to start 15 August, but it is now a week later, which is also good for the sizes. I also do think the market will be empty by then. There are still some old pears, but they will be gone by then. It may just push a bit on the Corina pears, as they will appear as early as late July. Moreover, we expect it to start running smoothly from mid/late September only. Traditionally, sales in August do not run very well yet, so not many kilos will be sorted directly from the field. This is because there is still too much summer fruit on the shelves then, such as strawberries and raspberries."
All in all, the trader expects an equivalent season to this year. "We have had prices from 85 to 95 euro cents in the box, and I expect we will end up at an equivalent level next season. Prices will not go sky-high anymore. This year, many growers held on to the pears in the hope that prices would skyrocket again, but that went a bit wrong. It is clear that high prices can't always be achieved. Of course, some growers, who have 30 to 40 per cent of the crop, would like to have a €2 price in the box, but it is not possible. If you have a 'normal' harvest, prices of 85 euro cents to 1 euro out of the cooler are still fine prices to work with."
He is somewhat less positive about the other varieties Christophe grows. "There will be a lot fewer Comice and Lukassen. Those have been hit significantly harder by the bad weather in spring. However, these remain mainly within Europe, where we really need Conference for global exports. To supply distant destinations, Conference is going to do just fine, so all in all I'm certainly not dissatisfied."
For more information:
Christophe Van Haelst
Van Haelst Fruit / VHM Fruit Trade
Kieldrechtsebaan 85
BE-9130 Verrebroek, Belgium
+32 (0)3 336 16 47
+32 (0)477 77 77 36
[email protected]
www.vanhaelstfruit.be