Pear Bureau Northwest is out with its first estimate of the 2024-25 fresh pear crop. The expectation is Washington and Oregon growers will harvest 10.6 million standard box equivalents, which is down 31% from the five-year average.
Bosc pears saw the steepest decline, dropping 62% from last year. Cumulative effects of intense freezes the past couple of years are the driver of this year’s drop. Green Anjou was another greatly impacted variety, dropping 36% from the five-year average.
The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1.4 million standard boxes equivalents, or 13% of the total projected Northwest crop.
Across all regions, harvest started in early August for Starkrimson and Bartlett pears, with growers beginning to pick Bosc, green and red Anjou by late August. Harvest for specialty varieties such as Comice, Seckel, Forelle and Concorde will be completed by late September.
“Despite this year’s shorter crop and some regional differences in overall appearance,” says CarrieAnn Arias, President and CEO, “this years’ harvest will continue to deliver a great eating experience for the consumer.”
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