As you are harvesting pears OFF your trees, we are RUNNING to get our marketing programs in place to help ensure a good, positive start to the season.

The Pear Bureau’s regional marketing managers are calling on retailers and providing customized analysis and merchandising suggestions. In the home office, we are developing new point-of-sale material, finalizing trade and consumer ads and copy, and developing our health messaging.

This season, we have many activities planned to help increase consumer awareness and purchases. One of the most effective in teaching consumers how to select and ripen pears, as well as giving them a taste of a perfectly ripened pear, is in-store sampling. This year, we will also be reaching consumers with a health message based on findings from a thorough literature review.

From a supply standpoint, the pear growers in the Pacific Northwest seem to be in a good position. While the Northwest fresh pear crop is down 6% from last year’s record crop, it is about 2% above a five-year average. When California is included in the mix, the fresh pear crop in the United States is actually 7% below last year. Add to this the 22% reduction in the European Union pear crop, and the Northern Hemisphere supply of pears, not including Chinese pears, is down 17% from last season.

So, things are looking positive for pear growers as we are off and running with the start of another season.

All pears all the time,
Kevin
kmoffitt@usaspears.com