In the opening speech of the congress, Jo Brouns, Regional Minister of Agriculture for Flanders, praised the resilience of the pear sector, while reaffirming the importance of its three pillars: research and innovation, promotion, and international cooperation.
As every year, representatives of the six main pear-producing countries — Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal — provided a detailed overview of the last campaign. Overall, the season was satisfactory for most countries, despite persistent obstacles that increasingly complicate production conditions:
Orchard protection has been weakened by the loss of certain active substances without effective alternatives to combat increasing diseases and pests.
Labour costs and lack of availability are a growing concern, hence the sector’s increasing interest in robotisation.
Water management raises significant concerns; storage remains insufficient despite rainy periods, leading to irregular and unpredictable availability.
Consumption is declining, particularly among younger generations. The appeal of pears must be rethought to attract new consumers.
In the second round table of the day, the six major producing countries shared their crop forecasts for the 2024–2025 season. These estimates should be taken with caution, as the campaign’s full potential has yet to be revealed:
Spain: a 31% increase in production is expected compared to 2024, when full production potential was not reached.
Belgium: a 25% rise is forecast following the previous season’s decline.
Portugal: volumes expected to remain stable compared to last year.
France: a 9% decrease is projected, although planted area has increased and new varieties are arriving.
Italy: a potential increase is anticipated but will be confirmed later in the season, as Italy’s main varieties are harvested late.
Netherlands: early trends point to a probable increase following a 10% drop in the previous season.
In the afternoon, Dany Bylemans, Managing Director of PCfruit, presented the “Digital Orchards” working group from Eufrin, highlighting innovations such as the creation of digital twin orchards to simulate parameters, scenarios and constraints, as well as the potential of agrivoltaics.
Presentations by Kris Jans (BelOrta) and Filip Fontaine (VLAMS) explored consumer profiles and purchasing habits, underscoring the decline in pear consumption over the past 20 years. Drawing from best practices in marketing and promotion, suggestions were made to help boost consumption.
RELATED NEWS: Interpera focuses on innovation and cooperation
The technical sessions in the afternoon addressed several key issues for the future of pear production. Ann Schenk, project manager at VCBT, provided an overview of postharvest research, highlighting advances in fruit preservation and quality. Precision farming also took centre stage with a presentation by Peter Frans De Jong (Wageningen University), illustrating the transition from macro to micro management at the tree level. Health-related issues were also covered: Gianfranco Anfora (University of Trento) gave a broad overview of the fight against stink bugs, while Tim Beliën (PCfruit) explained how modelling can enhance the timing of control strategies against pear suckers. These presentations showcased the richness of ongoing research and its practical potential in the field.
Faced with the climate, economic and technical challenges discussed at Interpera, Luc Vanoirbeek, Secretary General of VBT, and Lisa Martini, Vice President of AREFLH, agreed that “the need to meet, share ideas and innovate together has never been greater. That is the spirit of Interpera.”
