Latest News From Pears

Catalytic Generators, Norfolk, Va., is promoting its ethylene generators as a ripening technology that can help boost sales through a conditioned pears program.

The World Apple and Pear Association’s annual Southern Hemisphere production forecast shows slight drops in both crops compared to the past season.

Chris Ford is the new business development and marketing manager at Viva Tierra Organic in Mount Vernon, Wash., in the Skagit Valley.

FLM Harvest, Minneapolis, has hired Cristie Mather as vice president of food.

AgroFresh Solutions Inc., which markets SmartFresh and other products to prolong the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, plans to focus on sustainability and curbing food waste at Fruit Logistica.

While a mid-December “phase one” trade agreement with China lifted spirits and forestalled any escalation in the trade war with China, it did not immediately remove Chinese tariffs on fresh produce.

A new Pear Bureau Northwest video showing the fusion of pears and spicy chips has garnered more than 160,000 views on YouTube.

Chile 2019-20 deciduous fruit exports will dip modestly because of a drought and a decline in planted area, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Drought conditions in Chile are stressing Chilean fruit producers, according to a new report from Fedefruta, the Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile.

With pear sampling events spanning the globe, Pear Bureau Northwest will celebrate World Pear Day on Dec. 8.

Concluding the pear pizza campaign, USA Pears has named Veronica Callaghan the winner of the #pearpizza contest.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Pear Bureau Northwest named Harris Teeter its 2019 Pear Retailer of the Year at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.

Sorting equipment manufacturer Unitec Group has a lot to talk about since exhibiting at the 2018 Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.

Stemilt Growers is launching Promosaurus, a campaign to help retailers build large apple and pear displays, and celebrating 30 years of organic growing at Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.

Pumpkins and chili peppers held on to the top 2 spots on Produce Market Guide the week of Sept. 30, while apples climbed a couple of spots to the No. 3 slot.

Fall harvest is under way for Stemilt Growers’ Rushing Rivers pears, and Stemilt is bringing suggestions for successful winter pear promotions.

Rules governing the U.S. imports of Japanese unshu oranges and sand pears will be changed to allow for easier access to the U.S. market.

Selah, Wash.-based Rainier Fruit Co. is kicking off its annual holiday program “Pears for Pairs.”

Pumpkins held on to the top spot on Produce Market Guide the week of Sept. 9, while chili peppers gained two places from the week before to land at No. 2.

Milwaukee, Ore.-based USA Pears has selected Sparkloft Media to manage their social media efforts.

California pears will be available through most of October, and total shipments may equal about 2.2 million bartlett pears and 500,000 cartons of bosc pears.

Crunch Pak, which pioneered apple slices 20 years ago, is offering sliced pears to retailers under the Opera label.

USA Pears is set to launch a campaign centered around pear pizza to kick off the 2019-20 Northwest pear season.

A devastating fire has led to a new and improved operation for Washington Fruit & Produce Co., which partners with Mount Adams Fruit.

Mexico is a dominant buyer of Northwest pear exports, but other markets also seem to grow their appetites for the product, according to Milwaukie, Ore.-based Pear Bureau Northwest.

Green and red anjous, as well as bartlett and bosc, comprise 96% of this year’s Northwest pear crop, according to the Milwaukie, Ore.-based Pear Bureau Northwest. 

Pear volumes out of the Pacific Northwest in 2019 will be down, and the crop will late, but growers, shippers and marketers are upbeat about the upcoming season.

Hazel Technology has completed a shelf-life study of its product on anjou pears in storage.

Target plans to launch this fall its new Good & Gather brand, which will include fresh produce items.

Viva Tierra Organic, Inc. has introduced a new line of packaging for California grown certified organic apples and pears.

The latest estimate for the 2019 Northwest pear crop is up 8% from the early May forecast.

Figs and yellow plums continued to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on Produce Market Guide the week of July 29, while okra and cucumbers traded places from the week before.

One of Pear Bureau Northwest’s newest initiatives as it ramps up outreach for the pear season is a series of tutorial videos providing pear ripening, serving and nutritional tips to professionals in schools.

Sage Fruit Co. is a presenting sponsor of racing legend Tony Stewart’s Kartapalooza event where fans can race head-to-head with Stewart, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Washington State University professor and horticulturalist Kate Evans is the interim director of the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.

Recipes on Pear Bureau Northwest’s website are now shoppable for consumers, one of several tactics to kick off the season in September.

Stemilt Growers is encouraging retailers to plan ahead to include varieties of Rushing Rivers pears in their fall line-up.

Domex Superfresh Growers, Yakima, Wash., saw growth in organic apples and pears this past season, with galas and bartletts leading each category.

California pear season will begin by mid-July, bringing the first domestic pear supplies of the year.

California pear grower-shippers say they anticipate ample supplies of fruit, although the first promotable volumes likely will be a bit late during the 2019 season.

The Pear Bureau Northwest recently appointed new officers on its board of directors.

Northwest pear growers are estimating the 2019-20 fresh market crop will be 17.3 million 44-pound box equivalents, a drop of 9% from the previous harvest, and 6% the industry’s five-year average.

Planting area and exports continue to fall for Argentina apple and pear producers, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Exports of apple, pears, and grapes continue to rise from South Africa, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

CMI Orchards, Wenatchee, Wash., is ready for another imported apple season, with fruit from New Zealand, Argentina and Chile arriving in June.

Crunch Pak, which pioneered sliced apple availability at retail and foodservice, is introducing sliced and diced fresh-cut pears.

Chile’s fresh apple and grape exports will drop by just over 5% in the 2018-19 season, according to a new estimate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.

The BC Tree Fruits Cooperative, Kelowna, British Columbia, has purchased 85 acres of land in Kelowna, with plans to build a new facility.

Kathy Stephenson brings an enthusiasm for pears and pear growers to her role as the director of marketing communications for Pear Bureau Northwest.

With 11 years and counting at Wenatchee, Wash.-based tree fruit marketer Stemilt Growers, it is hard to imagine that Brianna Shales once didn’t know much about agriculture at all.