PDO Rocha Pear offers certified quality
General secretary of the ANP (National Pear Association) Rita Marinho reports that 140,000 tons of Pera Rocha were exported during the last campaign and a 50% drop is expected for the 2022 harvest due to unfavourable weather conditions. In 2021, the Pera Rocha do Oeste crop produced by the National Association of Producers of Pera Rocha totalled 216,000 tons. The organisation represents about 89% of total Portuguese production.
140,000 tons exported
In the 2021/22 campaign, 65% of production was exported, with half of this volume heading to the four main European markets (UK, Germany, France and Spain), 22% to Morocco and 16% to Brazil. In quantitative terms, it was a very positive year, with record exports and production volume. However, profitability was undermined by the general rise in costs. As export volumes are affected by crop size, shipments abroad should reach around 55,000 tons, as was the case in the 2020/21 campaign. A more precise assessment of export capacity will be made once harvesting is over.
The Rocha pear from Portugal’s Oeste region benefited from a major internationalisation project, which concluded at the end of 2020. The collective ‘Rocha do Oeste’ brand is also promoted on the domestic market, where it has become established. The Rocha do Oeste pear offers excellent quality, a unique taste and good post-harvest characteristics.
