For the complete report in Freshinfo click on this link
Belgian pears buck trend
Belgium will have the third largest crop of pears in Europe this season thanks to an increase in volumes while other countries’ see their harvests fall. Overall the European pear crop remains broadly in line with last year’s volumes at a forecast 2.5 million tonnes, according to Eurofel figures released last month. But a statement from the Belgian auctions reveals that Belgium’s crop is forecast to increase by 13 per cent.The upturn can be attributed to several factors. Heavy investment in irrigation systems, particularly in orchards established on sandy soil, meant the July heatwave was not as damaging as it might have been. Belgian growers have also been adopting a systematic approach to thinning so that fruit formation is more effective and fruit loss is diminished.
Production area has also increased in the last few years with growers encouraged to invest in new plantings given strong prices for their product. Consequently, this year’s Belgian pear crop is forecast by the Flandria quality label to increase to 259,000 tonnes. Conference will account for the lion’s share of production at 87 per cent and Belgium will therefore supply almost a third of the entire European crop of this variety.
No comments:
Post a Comment