Frost affects pear production in the northwest United States

Pear orchards in the northwest United States have been affected this year by low temperatures, which has caused a decrease in production. Portalfrutícola.com spoke with Jim Morris, Director of Marketing Communications for Pear Bureau Northwest, about the most affected varieties. This year, the pear sector in the northwest United States has experienced a substantial decrease of 31% in harvest volumes, compared to the average of the last five years. During the period evaluated, the average production was close to 15 million 18kg boxes. This year, the final harvest is expected to be just over 10 million boxes. Morris explains that this decrease is due to the adverse weather conditions that hit most of the northern regions of the country, especially around the Wenatchee area, in Washington. The Pear Bureau Northwest represents 11 pear varieties grown in Oregon and Washington, in Wenatchee, Yakima, Mid-Columbia Valley and Medford. “There are growers who are almost on the Canadian ...