European pear producers gather in Belgium to address declining consumption and production challenges

The Interpera conference took place in Hasselt, Belgium on 25 June, with the key challenges facing the business heading the agenda.

Pear industry experts covered a range of current and future concerns, including labour difficulties, the need to adapt farming practices in the face of phytosanitary restrictions, and water management.

The crucial issue of declining consumption – particularly among young people – was also discussed at the event.

Flemish minister of agriculture Jo Brouns launched the international pear congress by praising the resilience of the sector and reaffirming the importance of its three pillars: research and innovation, promotion and international cooperation.

Representatives from the six main pear-producing countries – Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal – offered a detailed account of the past season.

On the whole, the season was satisfactory for most countries, despite the obstacles that are increasingly complicating production efforts.

These countries also shared their early crop forecasts for the 2024/25 season, although it was noted that the estimates should be treated with caution as the season had “not yet fully revealed its potential”.

Spanish production is forecast to increase 31 per cent compared to 2024, with Belgian numbers up 25 per cent and Portuguese volumes “broadly stable”.

Pear volumes in France are expected to fall by 9 per cent, but an increase in acreage and the arrival of new varieties were highlighted.

Italy could see a larger crop, but this would be confirmed later in the season, while in the Netherlands initial trends pointed to a ”probable increase”.

After the forecasts, Dany Bylemans of PCfruit presented the work of Eufrin’s ‘Digital Orchards’ working group, while presentations by Kris Jans of BelOrta and Filip Fontaine of Vlam detailed consumer profiles and buying habits, highlighting the fall in pear consumption over the last 20 years.

Examples of good practices in marketing and promotion were presented to suggest ways of boosting consumption.

The afternoon’s technical sessions explored a number of key issues for the future of pear production.

Ann Schenk, project manager at the VCBT, gave an overview of post-harvest research, highlighting advances in fruit conservation and quality.

Precise cultivation was also at the heart of the discussions, with a presentation by Peter Frans De Jong of Wageningen University, who illustrated how to move from the macro to the micro for fine management at tree level.

Faced with the climatic, economic and technical challenges discussed at Interpera, Luc Vanoirbeek, general secretary of the VBT, and Lisa Martini, vice-president of Areflh, agree that “the need to get together, share ideas and innovate together has never been greater. That’s the spirit of Interpera.”