The export trend
Over 163,000 tons were commercialised during the past campaign, and exports showed a 14% increase with respect to the previous year. Average prices dropped by 13%.
As usual, EU28 countries absorbed most of the quantities - 87% of the total exports was shipped to Community countries, and Germany in particular (41%).
There was a slight drop in volumes sent to France and the UK, countered by an increase of those shipped to Romania, Austria, Croatia and Hungary.
Almost 11,700 tons were sent to Africa (7% of the total volumes), with bigger amounts sent to Libya.
The extra-European market has decreased by 4% due to the closing of the Russian market. Volumes destined to Switzerland remained stable.
The produce destined to North America was also stable, as a slight drop in quantities sent to the US market was counterbalanced by an increase of those sent to Canada.
More pears were also sent to Armenia, Brazil and a few Middle-Eastern countries.
Thanks to the fact that pears ripened early in 2014, quantities shipped during the initial phase of the campaign were bigger than the previous year. Between September and November, the monthly volume handled was bigger than the period between December and May.
The import trend
2012-13 was characterised by limited volumes (below 100,000 tonnes), which increased by 8% in 2014 reaching 103,000 tons. Nevertheless, quantities were still 15% less than 2009-2011.
Produce from South American countries dropped to 48,000 tons against the 52,000 of 2013. Quantities from Argentina and Chile (36 and 10% of the total respectively) also dropped, while volumes of counterseasonal pears from South Africa increased to 8,000 tons.
Pears from EU28 countries rose to 45% of the total volumes, +8% with respect to 2013.
The main supplier is once again Spain (27%), followed at a distance by the Netherlands and France. The volumes of pears from Portugal has increased a lot, reaching a 4% share of the total in 2015.
In the first semester of 2015 though, quantities from abroad dropped - only 67,250 tons arrived between January and June against the 73,000 of the previous year (-8%).
Less pears were shipped from Argentina (from over 36,000 to 25,000 tons), though quantities from Chile rose by 55% to 16,200 tons.
South Africa also showed an increase reaching 8,000 tons. 6,000 tons arrived from both the Netherlands and Spain, representing an increase for the former but a decrease for the latter.
