The promotional assessment on Pacific Northwest processed pears will increase from $5 to $7.11 per ton this season in an attempt to keep the Pacific Northwest Canned Pear Service functioning. The volume of pears grown for processing has declined significantly over the past 15 years, B.J. Thurlby, manager of the Processed Pear Committee, which administers the federal marketing order for processed pears, noted during the committee’s annual meeting. Pacific Northwest canners have been processing fewer than 150,000 tons in recent years, down from 220,000 tons in 1999. Last season’s volume was 136,000 tons. The early estimate of the 2009 processed […]