The Italian pear cultivation sector is facing an unprecedented challenge: A drastic decline in production over the last ten years. Figures show a clear reduction in cultivated hectares, down from 32,000 to 17,000, as well as a significant decrease in tons produced, down from 440,000 to only 12,000 – less than a third of what it was a decade ago. In this context, a new project is underway that aims to reverse this trend: the Eden pear.

The project was discussed at the 4th Field Day dedicated to the Eden pear. The event took place on 5 August and was organized at the Cairo&Doutcher agricultural company headquarters in Cairo, Uzi, Copertino (Lecce), in the Italian region of Apulia.

Dozens of producers, operators, and technicians from Italian regions including Apulia, Emilia-Romagna, Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, and Basilicata attended the event, as well as participants from several European and non-EU countries. Attendees visited Apulian orchards and observed the innovative Guyot system, which optimizes orchard management and productivity. The attendees also participated in a conference with national and international speakers.

Click here for the photo gallery © Vincenzo Iannuzziello | FreshPlaza.com

Rolando Calzolari (pictured above), the vice president of Greenyard Fresh Italy, emphasized the importance of the new Eden pear variety. The company holds the exclusive rights to sell this variety in the Italian and Greek markets. Last year, the company began marketing significant volumes and recorded sales of 350 tons. They expect to double that volume to at least 700 tons this year. The main goal is to incorporate the product into distribution chains. “By 2024, we will have reached commercial channels in Italy, such as Aldi and Coop Italia. Although there are other exclusive distributors for France, Spain, and Portugal, we can sell freely in all other European countries. We consider the continental market to be of great importance.”

Click here for the photo gallery © Vincenzo Iannuzziello | FreshPlaza.com Eden Pear

Regarding the pricing strategy, Calzolari points out that, although it is an exclusive product with a varietal club, the intention is not to position it in the niche market with excessively high prices. “We have always sought a price that would provide the producer with a good income. Last year, the price of the finished product fluctuated between €1.70 and €1.80/kg, with peaks up to €3/kg. The implemented strategy aims to popularize the variety rather than limit it to a narrow demographic,” he says.

Matteo Ferrari, an Eden cultivation technician, adds: “The main reason for the drop in production of classic pears in Emilia, such as Abate, Conference, Kaiser, and Decana, is their inability to reach the more than 1,000 hours of cold weather necessary for proper bud development. This requirement is becoming increasingly difficult to fulfill due to climate change. The Eden pear is a solution to this problem, requiring only about 200 hours of cold weather. This characteristic makes it particularly suitable for the changing climate and new EU agricultural policies that favor non-EU production over European production.”

The Eden pear variety is notable for its rapid growth, hardiness, and resistance to common diseases, such as Alternaria and scab. Massimo Contini, a pear grower from Ferrara with forty years of experience managing 70 hectares of pear trees, confirms these characteristics. “After meeting Uzi Cairo at the Macfrut exhibition, I planted the first twenty Eden pears in 2021 on a plot where I had previously grown Abate pears. Seeing positive results, I expanded the planting to two hectares in March 2023. All the plants survived and produced fruit in August of that year.”

Click here for the photo gallery © Vincenzo Iannuzziello | FreshPlaza.com Uzi Cairo, owner of Cairo&Doutcher

During the meeting, Professor Maria Loizidou Greca explained the possibility of recovering greywater and demonstrated the new technology developed by the European Union. “Agriculture accounts for 70% of the world’s water usage, while industry and domestic use account for 20% and 10%, respectively. Thirty-four percent of European territory and 41% of the population experience water scarcity, a trend that will worsen year after year.”

For more information:
Uzi Cairo
Vivai Cairo&Doutcher di Uzi Cairo e figli
Contrada Vigna Grande – locality Seminaristi
73043 Copertino (LE) – Italy
+39 328 9863911
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.cairodoutcher.com