CANNERS are struggling, too: Pear processors are facing higher costs and competition from imports

摘要

Canners say they recognize that growers aren't getting rich on the prices they pay for processing pears, but they're struggling to stay in business also because of a shrinking market and rising costs. Sue Root, head of operations for Truitt Brothers of Salem, Oregon, said Pacific Northwest canners used to process around 160,000 to 170,000 tons of pears annually. Since China began exporting large volumes of pears to the United States about six years ago, the volume has dropped to 140,000 tons, leavingcanners with excess capacity but the same overheads.