Whether the fruit is poached, grilled or raw, consumers in the Yakima Valley and throughout the U.S. will have more opportunities to enjoy Northwest pears.
Growers in Oregon and Washington are expected to harvest the equivalent of 20.2 million 44-pound boxes of fresh pears this year, according to an estimate from Pear Bureau Northwest released earlier this month.
That's a notable increase—about 26 percent—from last year's crop of just nearly 16 million boxes. The increase is a welcome change after three consecutive years of declining volume, said Kathy Stephenson, spokeswoman for Pear Bureau Northwest.
Harvest is underway and will continue through next month. About 13 percent of the fresh crop—about 2.6 million boxes—is expected to come from the Yakima Valley, according to Pear Bureau Northwest figures.
Rowe Farms, which grows 55 acres of pears in orchards throughout the Yakima Valley, has already harvested most its crop, but crews will pick late-season Anjou pears in a few weeks, said co-owner Morgan Rowe.
There was a noticeable improvement in the farm's pear volume, he said. Several factors likely contributed to last year's light crop, including poor pollination, he added.
Rowe said he sends most pears for canning, but about 10 acres worth of pears still goes to the fresh market.
"There's generally more money in fresh pears," he said.
With Washington and Oregon growing about 88 percent the nation's fresh pears, the fruit has had a much smaller presence in grocery store produce sections, Stephenson said. "We've somewhat conditioned our retailers to expect a smaller crop."
As a result, Pear Bureau Northwest has spent several weeks encouraging retailers to set aside more space for Northwest-grown pears for the next year, she said. Like apples, pears are stored and sold over the course of a year.
One potential concern is disputes with various countries, which could affect export markets. About 30 to 40 percent of the pear crop is exported in a given year.
Unlike apples and cherries, however, pears have managed to avoid tariffs from top markets, which include Mexico, Canada and India. China hit pears with two new tariffs of 15 percent and 25 percent, bringing the total tariff to 50 percent, but the country is not a top 10 export market for Northwest pears, Stephenson said.
A bigger issue for pear exports will be Russia, once a top market. In 2014, Russia banned pears and other U.S. products in retaliation for U.S. sanctions.
The ban might affect exports more this year with a large crop, Stephenson said.
"That is certainly going to be a hard thing for us," she said.
