Europe’s pear production begins slow recovery

A notable increase in Italy’s production will contribute to a modest overall recovery in the size of the EU pear crop for 2024/25, the World Apple & Pear Association has confirmed. However, a major downturn in expected volumes in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain mean the region’s new-season crop will be just 1.79m tonnes – 4.9 per cent above last year’s record low production but well below its traditional level in excess of 2m tonnes. Europe’s largest pear producer Italy is expected to supply 405,000 tonnes of the fruit next season, a dramatic recovery from last year’s 184,000 tonnes, which was around 60 per cent lower than in 2022 due to frost, flood, and hail damage. France has also recovered from a weather-hampered crop in 2023 to produce an estimated 119,000 tonnes. Although that figure is 15.7 per cent up on the three-year average, it remains well below the country’s real production potential. Elsewhere in Europe, larger crops are expected in Portugal (124,000 tonnes, up ...