Bountiful year pegged for pears

Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW)/USA Pears is characterizing this season as a bountiful year.

Pear orchards in the Pacific Northwest are a hum of activity as the 2025 harvest is officially underway. This year’s yields exceed last year’s harvest by an estimated 60%, according to a news release. 

A relatively mild winter and favorable overall growing conditions have contributed to what USA Pears anticipates will be a bountiful crop.

“Our growers in Washington and Oregon are excited about the quality and quantity of this year’s crop, and their enthusiasm is contagious as they bring more than 10 varieties and an abundant volume of fruit to market well into 2026,” CarrieAnn Arias, PBNW/USA Pears’ president and CEO, said in the release. 

While a robust supply is celebrated, the recent closure of the industry’s largest canner created anxiety related to market stability. Fortunately, a rapid response and relief effort from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for up to $20 million for Northwest Bartlett pear growers, in the form of a Section 32 purchase, is setting the stage for 2025 to be a great year for USA Pears, according to the release.   

The USDA’s Section 32 buy of Bartlett pears will enable food banks and school nutrition programs to gain access to the nutritious fruit,” Arias said in the release 

The Northwest pear harvest continues through fall. Proper storage of the fruit means that varieties will be in store nearly year-round. 

Based in Milwaukie, Oregon, Pear Bureau Northwest/USA Pears is a nonprofit marketing organization established in 1931 to promote the fresh pears grown in Washington and Oregon, home to 88% of the U.S. commercial fresh pear crop. The bureau represents more than 700 grower families and partners to increase overall success of the pear category.