PEAR INDUSTRY IN ARGENTINA: SEARCHING FOR A BETTER COMPETITIVENESS

The pear growing area in Argentina is concentrated around Río Negro and Neuquén upper valley (Latitude 39° South). In the last decade pear exports have increased by 330%. This spectacular rate of increase reflected that pears ceased to be a complementary business for apple growers.
This study considered the aspects of production, costs, organization, distribution, prices and consumption.
All these factors were related to economic and financial variables to explain the competitive and comparative advantages of Argentina and its position in the world market.
The analysis was focused in the overseas market of the European Union.
In the last forty years the major influence on price variation of the Argentine exports has been the exchange relation between European currencies and the American dollar.
Currently there is a more stable economic scenario and thus a need for better application of horticultural knowledge and marketing strategy.
Agroecological advantages give Argentina a good opportunity for a marketing strategy emphasizing a more sustainable use of the environment.
This will allow the pear industry to continue its positive development, with a profitability of 40% over the costs of production (2.60 U$S/box.) for the grower and 18.4% for the exporter (10.03 U$S/box).

VII International Symposium on Pear Growing

M.C. Dussi, M. Leskovar, M. Giacinti, S.E. Dussi

Production, marketing, commerce, costs, profitability

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.475.2