Core Tip: This year, the pear harvest has kicked off earlier than usual, given the exceptional situation of the crops, which in recent weeks have suffered from frost to very high temperatures.

This year, the pear harvest has kicked off earlier than usual, given the exceptional situation of the crops, which in recent weeks have suffered from frost to very high temperatures. The reduction in the volume of pears available due to the poor weather conditions is such that there has been a 15% dro in the amount of fruit packaged for export; however, according to Juan Bonifacio Lastra, manager at Cosur SA, "we have good prospects for the season, given the lack of production in the southern hemisphere, which could result in a great demand from other countries."

There are several destinations interested in receiving Argentinian pears, with the most noteworthy being Russia, Italy, the US and other countries in Latin America. The case of Russia is especially remarkable because of the closure of its borders to products from Europe.

"In the 2016 campaign, we shipped 3,500 tonnes to Russia, and we believe that the market conditions will be good this year, as we are starting with a much better exchange rate," explains Lastra. He added that "if the cargo volumes are controlled, and considering there are fewer pears and better conditions, I believe that things should go well in this market in the next few years." As regards the domestic market, they only allocate 300 tonnes, "which does not give us a strong presence, because we focus more on other products," concludes Lastra.