China’s Pear Production Set To Reach 19.6 Million Tons in 2023/24

China’s pear production is projected to rise to 19.6 million metric tons in the 2023/24 season, as per the latest China: Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The anticipated increase was attributed to improved growing conditions.

Aside from some high temperatures and dry periods in Shandong province over the summer, growing conditions remained relatively normal in all major pear-producing regions in 2023. Farmers in Shandong have reported that the quality of their pears, particularly the popular Qiuyue (Autumn Moon) variety, is generally good this season. The estimated pear production of 19.6 million metric tons for the 2023/24 season, which runs from July to June, corresponds to a 3% increase over last season. With recent adjustments in government agricultural policies and food security strategies placing greater emphasis on grain production, pear tree acreage is expected to decline in the coming years, even as output remains relatively stable.

Most pear varieties cultivated in China are crisp Asian pears, such as Snow pears, Crown pears and Nanguo pears. Recent years have seen the introduction of promising new varieties, including Qiuyue pears, which are known for their sweetness and refreshing flavor. The production of Qiuyue pears has rapidly expanded in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Anhui and Hebei, with many farmers in Laiyang, a city in Shandong, having replaced their local varieties with Qiuyue pears.

Wholesale prices of traditional varieties such as Crown pears have been falling since the beginning of the 2023/24 season. According to the China Fruit Marketing Association, when the harvest season began in mid-July, the average purchase price of Crown pears was 5 Chinese yuan ($0.70) per kilogram, a slight decrease compared with last year. However, market prices for the newer varieties remain strong, with Qiuyue pears grown in Laiyang fetching up to 10 yuan ($1.41) per kilogram.

Meanwhile, the report anticipates an increase of more than 20% in China’s pear imports in the 2023/24 season to a total of 20,000 metric tons. Although most Chinese consumers continue to favor crisp, sweet pears over softer Western varieties, the latter are becoming increasingly popular among the elderly and young children. Most of China’s pear imports originate from countries in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly Chile and South Africa, while key suppliers in the Northern Hemisphere include Belgium and the Netherlands.

With the ending of epidemic control measures, China’s pear exports are expected to have rebounded by 22% by the end of the 2023/24 season to reach a total of 500,000 metric tons.

Images: Pixabay (main image), U.S. Department of Agriculture (body images)

This article was based on a Chinese article. Read the original article.