The upcoming Belgian pear season looks very promising. While European harvest forecasts are estimated to be much lower overall than last year, the Belgian pear harvest actually looks to be better. "Finally, we can say once again Belgium's doing well. The pears have excellent quality and nice sizes. Also, demand seems good already," says Tony Derwael of Bel'Export with a smile.
"The recent rains weren't bad at all for the pears. We'll begin picking the early Corina pears next week; then, the season will begin. Things are looking pretty good there too. They're a little rougher-skinned than last year, but that's not a problem. We're starting on a clean market, so we should start with nice prices."
Though things look good for pears, apples seem to be facing a tougher time. It is a trend Bel'Export has seen for some time. "In the last 20 years, Belgian apple acreage has shrunk from 10,000 to 5,000 hectares but has done the opposite for pears. European pear acreage has declined for years, while apples have been abundant recently. So, pears appear to have plenty of potential, and that now appears to have been a good choice," Tony explains.
Yet, he admits that the pear market could become saturated. "Belgian Conference seems to have a great spot in the market next season, but we must be careful not to make the same mistake as with apples. There are already enough Conferences, so you should always keep an eye on other varieties too, and not back only one horse."
"We must always be aware of acreage expansion. For example, there are movements of Qtee, which have much potential. But we're also looking at red pears. There are already a few of those on the market, but there are still some nice varieties of those in the pipeline," says Derwael.
As mentioned, there is less optimism around apples. "Volumes should be slightly lower than last year, but those estimates were from a good month ago. It's already rained quite a bit since, so I see the crop being big again. That could bring the same price pressure as last year."
"Also, scab is causing considerable problems, so the apple market is very uncertain again. It isn't easy to gauge exactly how things will go, but Jonagold did end on a fairly positive note last year, so many have decided to try another year with apples. Time will tell, but certainly, for pears, it could be a great season. Still, even here, we have to be careful of being overly optimistic. We mustn't 'forget' to sell them," Tony concludes.
