The start of the conference pear harvest in the Ponent regions stands out for the recovery of production, after 2022 with little production due to frost. It is the most produced variety in the Lleida territory. This year, it is expected to exceed 65,800 tons, 32% more than last year, according to the forecasts of the Department of Climate Action. On the other hand, production in other European countries will be reduced this campaign and this is expected to benefit Lleida production, as explained by the president of Asaja Lleida, Pere Roqué. Therefore, a year of "a lot of commercialization" is expected, with fruits that stand out for their size and 'russeting', said Roqué.
The conference pear is the most harvested variety in the Lleida region. In fact, this year it represents 65,800 tons, more than half, of the 121,800 tons of the different varieties that are estimated to be produced this year in the demarcation, according to data from the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda.
In this way, production is back to "2020 levels", after two years with "significant frosts, in which the number of fruits to be harvested decreased", explained the president of Asaja Lleida, Pere Roqué.
Bad weather has also affected crops this year, the windstorm on July 27th threw an average of 20% of the fruits to the ground on some 3,000 hectares of farms in the territory. "There are some specific farms that have lost production, but at a global level it must not have affected them," Roqué indicated.
"Apart from this meteorological episode, the pear has enjoyed conditions during the spring and summer that have favored its growth and russeting, an element that determines its sweetness, with levels ranging between "60 and 80%", he explained. the president of Asaja Lleida.
For all these reasons, Roqué believes that it will be a year of "a lot of commercialization" and that the pear will have an outlet in both the "national and international" markets, since it is also expected to benefit from the reduction in production in other competing countries in Europe that have suffered from frost or hailstorms.
Regarding the prices, Roqué has been prudent and has expressed his wish that they be the "maximums that correspond".
The conference pear is a fruit that has a long history in the market. It begins to be marketed from the month of November and there is usually until the end of June.
