Poor weather conditions are expected to drive down Argentine pear production, according to the Argentine Chamber of Integrated Fruit Growers (CAFI). This comes after more auspicious projections were made by the USDA on Nov. 6, estimating “restored yields” to increase by 317,200 metric tons. 

The USDA report also said the number of fruit producers in the country has continued to decline due to high production costs, low fruit prices, and increased competition. However, projections remained hopeful.

CAFI President Nicolás Sánchez told FreshFruitPortal.com that Argentina currently has 49,421 acres planted with pears, but that poor weather and above-average drought conditions in January and February stalled production in 2023-24.

"We had a fairly good harvest, although we did not have a good flowering, as we had very late frosts, with a very cold spring. That delayed and extended flowering," said Sánchez, who also serves as CEO of Argentine company Patagonia Food.

These conditions, Sánchez said, delayed harvest between 10 to 14 days. Extreme temperatures, between 100 to 104°F, impacted operations as well, as shifts were completed earlier in the day to avoid impacting workers' health.

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"Last year we started harvesting on Jan. 4, but this year we started after Jan. 18. This was a year where there was room in the market for early pears and that caused us to miss that opportunity for the first arrivals," Sánchez said.

The extended flowering period caused some fruit to not develop well, and "that is why some varieties such as William and the earliest varieties had smaller sizes".

Sánchez added that the harvest is already finished, but  official figures are not yet available.

"I estimate that we will be about 7% down in projections, despite this being a normal harvest in volume," he said.

The Abbé Fétel variety was most heavily impacted, with a 20% drop in production. However, because it is a smaller variety, the drop did not affect overall volume, Sánchz said.

Markets

As for destination markets, Sánchez indicated that 180,000 tons will be shipped to the northern hemisphere, and another 50,000 tons to Latin America.

"We see that there is a revaluation of the commodity in general, depending on the volume, so normal prices are expected, because there are fewer pears in Italy and France,” he said. “The U.S. does produce pears, but perhaps the quality is not as good. I think we are going to have a normal to positive season.” 

Sánchez said they ship by sea until around May to reach the Northern Hemisphere and all year round to Latin America.

Another relevant point regarding exports is the growth of the Chinese market.

"Although the export protocol is not easy, we are growing. And in the case of India we are also growing, but a little less," he said.

The executive indicated that last year they sent a total of 50 containers to China and 30 to India. Exporters are currently working on increasing those numbers.

"In India, I believe that the opportunity for pears is growing,” he said. “China has a phytosanitary issue that is quite strict. Despite this, everything is sold, so we do not know where the limit is".