Photo: WAPA

The World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) has released the Southern Hemisphere apple and pear crop production forecast for the upcoming season. According to the forecast, which consolidates the data from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa, apple production is estimated to increase by 6% in 2021 compared to the previous year, while pear production is projected to stabilise.

Photo: Freepik

Following the country’s Spring Festival (12 February), Chinese pear exports started to recover gradually. With the global pandemic slowly coming under control, shipping prices have begun to fall. The upcoming Hari Raya (13-15 May) celebrations in Indonesia should further stimulate Chinese pear exports. However, the domestic market has slowed down due to lower production volumes (and higher prices) resulting from poor weather conditions.

Photo: Eurofresh Distribution

The EU’s 2020/21 (July/June) pear output is expected to be up 13% from last year, when production was at a record low, according to a USDA report. Production in Italy, the largest pear producing country in the EU, partly recovered this season due to favourable growing conditions. Similar good weather conditions, in combination with a slightly higher area harvested, also resulted in increased pear production in the Benelux countries. The taste, colour, and storage quality are good.

Photo: BFV

On January 22nd, 2011 BFV and Dole China held a joint official opening ceremony in Shanghai to receive the very first container of Truval Conference Pears – the very first western pear to be officially imported to China, after years of negotiation between the two countries. To celebrate this landmark occasion both Dole China and BFV will launch 2021 as the official 10 year anniversary year of this historic partnership, and at the same time celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Belgium and China.

Press release & foto by: Stock Global Fruit Point GmbH  

Last week Global Fruit Point successfully renewed its organic audit, which also included an update of the Demeter certification.

China’s 2020/21 pear crop is projected to fall almost 8% to 16 million tons, as frost hit the country’s main producing region, Hebei. Chinese consumers prefer crunchy Asian pears over western pear varieties. The low volumes of imported western pears from the EU and South Africa are mostly consumed by children and older people. The MY 2020/21 pear import forecast is 11,000 tons, according to FAS China data.

Although Argentina’s 2019/20 fresh apple and pear productions are projected to decrease to 480,000 tons and 550,000 tons respectively, the lower fruit supply in the Northern Hemisphere is set to boost exports during this campaign, according to USDA data. Apple exports are forecast at 100,000 tons and pear exports are projected to reach 300,000 tons. 

New Zealand’s 2019/20 apple crop is projected to increase by 2.8% to 593,000 tons (source: FAS/Wellington),  due to an expanded harvested area and a good growing season, despite the impact of COVID-19 on harvesting and packing. The larger crop is set to boost the country’s apple exports for 2019/2020, which are forecast to hit a record 400,000 tons, up 2.3% on 2018/2019. This continues a promising trend, as apple exports in 2018/2019 rose 5.8% from 2017/2018.