Time to pack: Duckwall Fruit shares pear outlook

HOOD RIVER — “I don’t think we’re going out on a limb to say that it’s going to be a record harvest for Duckwall Fruit,” said Ed Weathers, president and sales manager of the Odell-based pear packing house.

Throughout the Mid-Columbia, picking and packing is underway — the excitement, palpable. USA Pears expects Pacific Northwest trees to produce 60% more fruit this season, and Central Washington growers are largely fueling that jump, from 10.6 million 44-pound boxes in 2024 to nearly 17 million boxes projected in 2025. Last year, a prolonged freeze hit Wenatchee in January, causing a near crop failure and the smallest harvest in four decades, according to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.

Conditions in Hood River have also been exceptional, and Duckwall Fruit anticipates highs among several varieties. The company and industry writ large, however, must navigate market realities that accompany such a significant shift in output, along with tariffs and a cannery closure.

Together, Oregon and Washington produce about 88% of the nation’s fresh pears, according to USA Pears.

While this harvest will be much more competitive, last year’s shortage resulted in higher prices, enabling other fruits to undercut pears in the produce section. Having enough real estate in grocery stores, which tend to shy away from volatility, is a “huge concern” for Weathers and Duckwall Fruit, especially since pear consumption in the United States has remained relatively stagnant for decades.

“We can either look at it from a pessimistic view that our consumption is flat and we’re not sure what to do, or the optimistic view that we have a good crop to promote and market, and hopefully be successful together,” said Weathers.

Likewise, the industry needs to re-engage relationships with foreign partners who received less or no fruit because of the lackluster crop. Mexico and Canada are consistently the biggest importers, according to the Northwest Horticultural Council, and Duckwall Fruit’s Director of Export Sales, Lina Sanchez, said the company aims to bring parts of South America, the Middle East and Asia into the fold again.

“Last season, South America received very few pears from us,” said Sanchez. “This year we have the opportunity not only to reconnect with those markets but also to expand into regions where, in the past, the conditions weren’t as favorable — whether due to fruit size, availability, or other logistical factors. With this crop, those opportunities are clearer, and the early response from our international partners has been very positive.”

Thanks to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which extended the zero-tariff treatment of certain agricultural goods, including pears, established by previous trade policy, the industry’s most important partners have been insulated from President Trump’s extensive tariff docket. Still, the overall haphazardness leads to uncertainty, as previously reported by Columbia Gorge News, making it more difficult for Duckwall Fruit to secure other markets.

Sanchez highlighted Brazil, for example. On Aug. 6, Trump imposed a 40% tariff on most Brazilian exports to the United States atop an existing 10% reciprocal tariff, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva threatened to take the same measures.

“Brazil is an important market for us, but the current tariff environment makes it difficult to plan with certainty,” she said. “The additional 40% tariff imposed by the United States, and the potential for Brazil to respond in kind, creates hesitation for buyers. Until there is clarity on whether those reciprocal measures will be implemented, it’s challenging for us to move forward with confidence. The interest from Brazil is there — it’s just a matter of whether the economics will allow the fruit to flow.”

Albeit a much smaller impact, Weathers added that Duckwall Fruit is paying more for packaging material sourced from China as a result of tariffs.

Closer to home, another major industry development was the closure of Del Monte’s cannery in Yakima this past May, the fruit, vegetable and broth producer’s second since 2024. With just one facility left in Washington, 20,000 to 25,000 tons of pears could be without a home this year, which may drive prices down in both the canned and fresh markets, according to the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Although Duckwall Fruit produces virtually no pears headed to Del Monte, the company doesn’t exist in a bubble, but the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in August that it will buy $20 million worth of Bartlett pears, destined for schools and food banks, via Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935, which empowers the agency to buy excess farm products.

“This helps growers cover the rising costs of production and optimizes pricing for US#1 grade fruit without taking a loss due to the excess volume. Consumers in need also benefit by enabling food banks and school nutrition programs to gain access to the nutritious, fiber-filled fruit. There is much to celebrate this harvest season with such a beautiful crop,” CarrieAnn Arias, president and CEO of USA Pears, said over email.

Meanwhile, as the lower valley wraps up and the upper valley begins picking its winter varieties, the Duckwall Fruit packing house is active. Four varieties are expected to well exceed the five-year average: Anjou (26%), Bartlett (27%), Starkrimson (39%) and Bosc (57%). All told, the highest orchards should be harvested in about two weeks.

“We see the 2025 crop as a real opportunity for the industry. With help from USA Pears, and with a desire to increase pear consumers around the world, we look forward to what this incredible bounty will bring,” said Weathers. “Go enjoy a pear, as it is grown in your backyard, and few people can say that about our delicious fruit.”