Pears Are About to Become Very Sparse and Very Expensive — Here’s Why

For months, the United States has been experiencing an intense egg crisis, with prices skyrocketing and inventory plummeting. But it appears eggs aren’t the only thing that will be hard to come by in the coming months.

On Thursday, Food Dive reported on the expected pear shortage coming to the U.S. after Northwest growers experienced the smallest crop yield in 40 years following a deep freeze in 2024. “There’s certainly still a Northwest pear crop, but it was significantly smaller as a result of that damage,” Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA), shared with the site.

According to Agriculture Marketing, six states produce the majority of America’s pears: California, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington — with Washington leading production, growing 295,090 tons in 2020. However, the state saw significant winter weather in January of 2024, causing the trees to produce fewer flowers and, thus, fewer fruits. 

The WSTFA reported that farmers had a harvest that was only about two-thirds as big as the previous year, while the Pear Bureau Northwest reported that the crop was down 31% from the five-year average. Good Fruit also reported that the Bosc crop, a pear that’s particularly popular for baking, suffered the worst stats of all, with a crop yield that is down 60% from last year.

Those pears that did make it through the winter will also look a bit different. Jim Morris, the marketing communications manager at Pear Bureau Northwest, explained to the Tri-City Herald that after a freeze, as the pear grows, “it gets this rust-colored ring called a russet … It’s a cosmetic issue.” 

While he noted that people should expect to see more of this rust ring, it does not affect the taste. Still, DeVaney is worried that it will cause consumers to forgo pears this year. “Consumers eat with their eyes before, before anything else,” he told Food Dive. “If it was not going to look attractive in the store, [the fruit] would either not sell at all, or sell at such a discount that growers couldn’t pay to harvest it.”

This smaller crop means that fewer pears will be exported this year. Jeff Correa, the director of international marketing at Pear Bureau Northwest, shared with Good Fruit that the bulk of exports will go to Mexico and Canada. We can import more pears. Fresh Plaza explained that we have started importing from Argentina — America’s largest trade partner for pears — earlier than usual, however, its organic crop is down too. 

Still, it’s not all bad news. DeVaney told Food Dive that this winter’s warmer-than-predicted weather could cause a crop rebound, though it’s still too early to tell. As he noted in a press release, there are other fruits to look forward to from Washington.

“It was a strong year for the state’s sweet cherries and apples, but a severe freeze in January 2024 significantly impacted this year’s pear crop, resulting in a drop in production,” DeVaney said. “What remains positive is our growers’ ability to deliver high-quality fruit that is prized in domestic and foreign markets, despite myriad challenges.”