The third annual meeting of Interpera, the World Pear Congress, in the Italian city of Ferrara at the end of May attracted more than 180 delegates from countries including Argentina, South Africa, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Russia and Switzerland.
Organised by the European Regions’ Fruit and Vegetable Association (AREFLH) and Consorzio Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO), Interpera underlined the importance of innovation to the future development of the pear business, not only in terms of varieties but also in terms of logistics, organisation and production practices.
'It is clear that there is a need for increasingly focused and active measures to encourage exports to traditional markets, but also to new destinations,' concluded CSO president Paolo Bruni (pictured left) at the end of the meeting. 'Global competition and the decline in consumption compel us to implement effective and coordinated measures to demolish the phytosanitary barriers that still exist in many important countries.'
Worryingly, delegates at Interpera heard that pear sales in Europe, and particularly through retail channels, have been in decline over the past decade.
According to a report unveiled at the event, pear sales volume in Italy alone has fallen from around 450,000 tonnes to 370,000 tonnnes since the start of the millennium.
Consumption of the fruit across Europe has also declined, down 11 per cent last year compared with 2000, and in potentially large markets like the UK and Germany per-capita pear consumption barely amounts to more than 2kg. In fact, the only countries in the world showing sizeable increases in consumption of pears are China and Russia.
Interpera's various sessions included longer-term forecasts from Spanish group Catalonia Qualitat, which predicted an overall 'substantial decline' in production of summer pears, while data presented by CSO relating to winter production hinted at overall stability for the near future.
Pear production continues to demand a significant degree of specialisation, not to mention substantial investment, in order to guarantee the levels of yield required on international markets, delegates heard.
A cost comparison prepared by the University of Bologna on behalf of CSO showed that, when it came to European production, Belgium and the Netherlands were able to produce and market Conference pears at significantly lower prices than Italy, something which explained why their products were able to compete so well in the global marketplace.
By contrast, the cost of producing Italy's most commonly produced pear variety, Abate Fetel, is high, although it was also noted that this particular cultivar remains profitable when yields are sufficient.
Production and varieties
An overview of global pear production and sales, meanwhile, indicated that global pear production now amounts to around 21m tonnes, placing it in second place in terms of fruit volume behind apples and directly ahead of peaches.
With China the world's largest producer of pears, Italy is currently the world’s second-largest producer and the US is in third place. However, large yields don't necessarily translate into market share.
In fact, countries such as Argentina, Chile and South Africa export almost all of their pear production, making them hugely important players on the world market.
In 2007, a total of 18 per cent of pear exports originated from Argentina, 16 per cent from China, 13 per cent from the Netherlands and 11 per cent from Belgium.
Chile and South Africa accounted for 9 per cent and 7 per cent respectively, while Italy exported the same amount as South Africa. US exports made up 6 per cent of the total volume.
As with other products, China's share of the international market is growing. Despite producing some 60 per cent of the world's pear crop, its exports remain low at just 400,000 tonnes – however, that figure is said to be growing steadily.
Average pear production in North America, in comparison, now stands at more than 800,000 tonnes, and in South America production is concentrated for the most part in just two countries: Argentina and Chile produce 92 per cent of the continent's pear volume.
As regards Europe, production has been somewhere around 2.6m tonnes for most of the past decade. Italy produces around 860,000 tonnes of pears on average, supplying just over one-third of Europe's crop.
Spain's 20 per cent share of European pear volumes is in decline, with production falling below 500,000 tonnes, and the picture is similar for French pears, which now make up less than 8 per cent of the total.
In contrast, the Netherlands and Belgium each command roughly 9-10 per cent of European output and those figures are reportedly rising. According to the research, their total output could exceed 300,000 in the near future.
Unlike apples and stonefruit, the range of pear varieties worldwide has remained largely unchanged for the last four decades.
In Europe, Conference remains the most commonly grown variety, making up 30 per cent of the EU crop. Williams' bon chretien is in second place at approximately 300,000 tonnes and Abate Fetel, despite only being produced in Italy, ranks in third place at between 250,000 and 300,000 tonnes.
Together, the Benelux countries are Europe's largest pear exporter, but Italy is reported to be growing in terms of its exports, which now stand at around 150,000 tonnes per year.
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