Farmers issue warning about popular fruit missing from store shelves: 'Not going to look attractive'

Extreme weather conditions continue to negatively impact annual harvests around the United States. In the Pacific Northwest, a record-setting deep freeze has decimated pear crops, and according to farmers, it will soon be evident on store shelves.

What's happening?

Washington and Oregon produce around 87% of the nation's pears. Of course, the number that 87% amounts to varies each year. This year, it has dropped drastically.

The estimated 10.6 million boxes of pears produced in the Pacific Northwest this year represents a 31% decline from the industry's five-year average. This is largely due to freeze damage in the northern growing region, an unsettling result of increasingly unpredictable weather.

While there are still pears to be consumed, frost damage has left many with a brown ring, or russet. That may not sound like a huge deal, but according to experts, it can impact pear sales significantly.

"If it was not going to look attractive in the store, [the fruit] would either not sell at all, or sell at such a discount that growers couldn't pay to harvest it," Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, said.

Why is the decline in pear crops important?

This precipitous drop in pear crops is no isolated incident. Farmers around the world are struggling to adapt to our changing environment, and our food supply is at risk.

This can mean less produce on shelves, higher prices on the produce that remains, and the loss of beloved items created with that produce. For example, winemakers in Europe are being forced to migrate north or lose their product altogether.

What's being done about struggling crops?

While this news is alarming, plenty of people are taking action to address the issues farmers are facing. 

Researchers recently made a breakthrough that may help crops become more resilient to extreme weather conditions. They're doing this by editing drought-resisting genes found in pears into other vital crops. 

Another recent agricultural breakthrough involves vertical farming. It's believed that these new methods can significantly improve the efficiency of vertical farming and increase food production. 

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