The Opera La Pera campaign concluded in a challenging environment, marked by a sharp reduction in available volumes, continued low yields, and growing competitive pressure from Europe's main producing countries. Despite these challenges, the Consortium continues to play a leading role for its member producers, focusing on promoting the most representative varieties of Italian pear growing.
According to director Manuel Manfredi, the priority for the season just ended was to protect the value of the produce contributed by members, focusing primarily on the Abate and Williams varieties, considered the most recognizable and appreciated by the market. For the Abate variety in particular, characterized by very low yields, the marketing strategy allowed for satisfactory prices to be maintained for the most sought-after sizes and for the highest-quality lots.
Positive results also came from Williams, which confirmed its position within the sector thanks to planned and attentive marketing. The situation is more complex for varieties more exposed to international competition or penalized by weaker demand, a factor that reinforces the need to increasingly differentiate Italian pears from foreign production.
For Opera, the issue of production sustainability remains central. Price protection, in fact, is not enough to compensate for still-too-low yields per hectare. The challenge in the coming years will therefore be to recover productivity and efficiency, while maintaining the premium positioning of the varieties that continue to distinguish national production.
Looking ahead to the 2026/2027 campaign, the Consortium confirms its mission of promoting the pears supplied by members of the Apo Conerpo and Orogel POs, maintaining a central role in product management.
With this in mind, the Board of Directors has approved, at the request of Patfrut, Pro.Pa.R., and Naturitalia, a limited exemption for centralized invoicing via Opera for the next marketing season. This measure applies exclusively to the quantities produced by the affected members and affects just over 10% of the expected volumes of deliveries.
President Adriano Aldrovandi emphasized that the decision reflects Opera's cooperative nature, which requires it to assess and address its members' needs, including through extraordinary solutions. This decision, he clarified, does not alter the Consortium's central role.
All of Opera's main functions remain unchanged: marketing members' pears, brand protection and management, market data monitoring, coordination between member organizations, and representation at industry forums, particularly within UNAPera.
For the next campaign, the Consortium aims to further improve commercial and operational efficiency, strengthening production protection through the Opera brand and promoting the Emilia-Romagna PGI pear, with the goal of preserving the distinctive value of the Italian pear on national and international markets.
