California Pear Advisory Board Discusses Crop Timing, Seasonal Harvest, and Consumer Demand; Chris Zanobini Comments
SACRAMENTO, CA - California pear season is soon to be upon us! With farmers on track to begin harvest in early July, light volumes of California pears could be here as soon as July 7, with volume increasing the week of July 11.
“After several years of late harvests for California pear farmers, it’s great to be back to normal crop timing in early July,” said Chris Zanobini, Executive Director of the California Pear Advisory Board. “It appears demand for California pears is strong this year in both the fresh and cannery markets. Growing conditions have been excellent this year to produce a uniform sized, high-quality crop.”
According to a release, the California Pear Advisory Board met last week in Courtland, California, to set its annual pre-season crop estimate. For all varieties, total anticipated production is predicted at 2,257,000 boxes. This volume includes Golden Russet Bosc and red pear varieties that are growing in popularity as well as over 200,000 boxes of organic Bartlett and Bosc pears.
To move the fruit, retail and consumer marketing programs are in place for the season. These will emphasize ripening education for consumers with in-store signage and graphic bins, the release noted.
“We’re stressing the fact that Bartlett pears can be ripened on the counter where they will turn from green to yellow, like bananas, and become softer, juicier and sweeter, “ said Zanobini. “But unlike bananas, when Bartletts reach the desired level of ripeness, they can be placed in the refrigerator where they will last for several more days. This unique characteristic of Bartlett pears can help consumers stretch their food dollars and reduce food waste—both important benefits in 2022.”
As the season continues, the Board outlined other areas of production. The River growing district represents the largest volume of California pears, which is closely followed by the Lake County region. That region is expected to begin harvest on August 1. The Mendocino region is then the third-largest producer and will start harvest just after Lake County between August 1 and 5.
Lots of pears are about to hit the market, so buyers, be prepared for those pear promotions!
