MILWAUKIE, OR - With talk of the current Pacific Northwest pear crop circling, we were pleased to receive an update from Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW) yesterday. The organization stated that for the 2024–25 season for Washington and Oregon, the industry’s fresh pear estimate is 10.6 million standard box equivalents—down 31 percent from the five-year average.

“Despite this year’s shorter crop and some regional differences in overall appearance,” says CarrieAnn Arias, President and Chief Executive Officer, “This years’ harvest will continue to deliver a great eating experience for the consumer.”

Bosc pears have seen the steepest decline, down 62 percent from last year, a press release stated. We learned that cumulative effects of intense freezes the past couple of years are the driver of this year’s drop. Green Anjou, which is down 36 percent from the five-year average, is the other most impacted variety.

The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1.4 million standard boxes equivalents, or 13 percent of the total projected Northwest crop.

Across all regions, harvest started in early August for Starkrimson and Bartlett pears, with growers beginning to pick Bosc, green, and red Anjou by late August. Harvest for specialty varieties such as Comice, Seckel, Forelle, and Concorde will be completed by late September.

This season will feature an evolution of last year’s consumer advertising campaign with a deeper dive into the personalities of different varieties, while continuing to educate and inspire consumers with bold and approachable recipes that celebrate the versatility of pears.

Early season promotions will include a partnership with Tajin in October, to observe National Pizza Month. For National Diabetes Month in November, PBNW is collaborating with a team of accomplished dietitians. Plus, December, which is National Pear Month, will showcase more versatility on the ninth annual World Pear Day, December 7.

Promotions are also taking place outside the United States. PBNW will have full programs that will focus on in-store activities; larger-scale activities such as movie tie-ins and TV advertising in Mexico; digital marketing efforts with leading retailers in Mexico, Canada, and Central America; as well as in-store and social media campaigns.

We look forward to seeing these pear-centric strategies in action!