Northwest pear growers expect a full crop this season and plan to renew promotional efforts for organic pears and efforts in offshore export markets that have been dormant for several seasons.
It was too soon to release an official crop estimate when the Pear Bureau Northwest and the Fresh Pear Committee met in Yakima on May 13 and 14, but early estimates point to “a good rebound, not a panic-inducing large crop,” in the words of board member Andrew Peterson.
The Fresh Pear Committee, which is administered under a federal marketing order, voted to keep assessments at 51.6 cents per box, which is allocated as 43.3 cents for promotions, 4.5 cents for research, and 3.8 cents for administration. The promotional activities are conducted by the pear bureau. The assessment on organic pears is voluntary, but president CarrieAnn Arias urged the industry to participate in those this year.
“We’re losing dollars, we’re losing shelf space. This is a bellwether year for organic pears to reestablish,” said Mike Taylor of Stemilt Growers.
He and others acknowledged that they had each opted out of paying those voluntary assessments, due to the sense that nobody else was, but the consensus was that growers are prepared to resume contributions so the pear bureau can invest in organic promotions this season.
The industry is also looking at renewed export promotions, following on the heels of the freeze-damaged 2024 harvest, which came in at just over 10 million boxes. It will take some intentional rebuilding in international markets, said Jeff Correa, the bureau’s international marketing director.
Due to the larger crop and anti-American sentiment among some Canadian consumers, the pear industry will need offshore markets in Central America, Asia and the Middle East, which have been down since global logistics challenges emerged in the wake of the pandemic.
Bryan Peebles, chair of the foreign trade committee, urged the pear bureau to lean heavily on its RAPP funding to “get back in with a bang.” The Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, or RAPP, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture funding mechanism created in 2023 to help boost exports, but the money cannot be spent in Mexico or Canada.
“You guys have money the industry does not have, and we don’t have time to wait,” he said. “Let’s not spend four years struggling to get back in.”
On the domestic marketing front, Arias, who took the helm of Pear Bureau Northwest in July, shared her vision for new branding for the organization and a new focus on health messaging enabled by hiring a registered dietician to join the staff.
Board chair Jordan Matson and vice chair Don Gibson praised Arias and her team for delivering a budget that gets the organization back to rebuilding a reserve fund as well.
Industry leaders also discussed ongoing challenges around storage and handling and a new working group that warehouses have formed to share best practices for ensuring pear consumers experience consistent quality.
