Organic Importer Introduces New Heirloom Pear Variety To US Market

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA – CF Fresh is excited to introduce the venerable Durandeau pear into the US organic produce market. The pears are being grown by Agro Roca SA in Rio Negro, Argentina. Their agronomists have been working for several years to identify and cultivate promising new – and reintroduce old – varieties for the organic market.

The Durandeau pear was originally cultivated in the garden of M. Durondeau, at the village of Tongre-Notre-Dame, in Belgium. They are also sometimes called Tongre or De Tongre pears, after the city. It was first described in the Album de Pomologie, Vol. 3, 1849-50. It was grown in the US as early as 1858 but seems to have since largely disappeared from cultivation in the western hemisphere.

It is not a long storage pear, but they are first-rate for fresh eating, tender and juicy with a sweet, rich, and delicious flavor. They have an attractive golden color with streaks of red blush.

The Durandeau pears will be packed in 10 kg boxes. The volume is understandably quite limited, with only about 15,000 kg expected this season. They will be arriving in the US the first week of March.

CF Fresh is a leading organic marketer providing fresh, certified organic produce to retail chains and wholesalers throughout North Americas as well as exporting to Europe and Asia. With growers located in Canada, the western US, Chile and Argentina, CF Fresh offers a year-round supply of high quality organic apples, pears, onions, potatoes, stone fruits and more. The company is a highly regarded pioneer in the organic industry, and is well known for innovation, quality and sustainability.

Source: CF Fresh Inc.