Quick Pear Facts

A pear is 83% water, a good source of B vitamins, and contains some vitamin C, phosphorus and iodine.
Pears are picked by hand before they are fully ripe. If pears are left to ripen on the tree, the flesh will turn brown and soft.
Two pear varieties must be planted in an orchard for cross pollination.
Pears are ranked 9th by total volume in world production of fruit crops.
Top world pear exporting countries are: Argentina, China, USA, Italy, Chile and South Africa.
AAFC has introduced several new pear cultivars, such as Harrow Delight and Harvest Queen in the early 1980s, Harrow Sweet in 1990, and AC Harrow Crisp and AC Harrow Gold in 2002-03.
It takes 6 to 8 years from the time a rootstock (plant or stump with a healthy root system used for grafting) is planted until pears can be picked.
In British Columbia, pears are mainly grown in the Okanagan, Simikameen and Kootenay valleys.
Seventy-five percent of pears grown in Ontario are from the Niagara region.
AAFC plant breeders across Canada develop new varieties of horticulture and field crops from fruits and vegetables to soybeans, oilseeds, cereals, and forages.
Other new fruit crops recently released by AAFC breeders include: Wendy (strawberry from Kentville, N.S.), Aurora Golden Gala (apple from Summerland, B.C.), Sovereign and Sentennial (sweet cherries from Summerland, B.C.).
Several years ago, an apple naming contest gave the name Aurora Golden Gala to an apple from Summerland, B.C. This apple is now in production in British Columbia and Ontario... look for it in stores this fall.