The Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW) announces that the first official estimate of the 2022-23 fresh pear crop for Washington and Oregon is on par with the five-year average. Growers expect to harvest 16.2 million standard box equivalents.

“Pear growers are in full harvest mode right now, hand picking a new crop of beautiful, tasty pears starting with Bartletts and Starkrimson,” stated Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of PBNW. “There will be a full range of sizes available, including popular large-sized fruit as well as smaller sizes to fill the popular pouch bags as well as sizes to fulfill export market demand.”

Across all regions, harvest started in mid-August for summer varieties like Starkrimson and Bartletts, with growers beginning to pick Bosc, Green and Red Anjou in early- to mid- September. Specialty pears like Comice, Seckel, Forelle and Concorde pears will also be available in September, to provide an exceptional assortment of unique and flavorful pear choices for shoppers.

The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1,823,000 million standard boxes equivalents, or 11 per cent of the total projected Northwest crop.

Capitalizing on the latest trends and innovations in digital marketing as well as in-store, PBNW is initiating fresh promotions across the U.S. and Canada. The 2022-23 season has kicked off with the launch of a new augmented reality experience, inspiring consumers to simply add pears to their everyday meals, a new social campaign designed to continue elevating pears with a fresh perspective, all while leading up to Halloween promotions that include spooky snack boards. PBNW will also continue to expand online shopping programs at retail with banner ads and other shopper marketing promotions.

The Northwest pear industry will rely heavily on key exports markets such as Mexico, Canada and the Central American region to once again successfully move the 2022 northwest pear crop.

Source:   Pear Bureau Northwest September 1, 2022 news release