The pears that fought the cold may die because of the beauty model

Pear growers in Israel are stuck with 90% of their crop in cold storage, after late winter rains caused a cosmetic blemish on the peel. The marketing chains refuse to market the Israeli pears and prefer imports, even though the taste is identical. Lior Babish, a leading grower, has launched a campaign to save the industry.

Pear growers in Israel, led by Lior Babish from Moshav Neot Golan, are facing an unprecedented crisis: pears that were cosmetically damaged due to unusual rains and cold during the flowering period are being rejected by major supermarket chains, which prefer to import smooth pears. Babish, a leading grower, has sold only 200 tons out of 2,000 – 90% of the pears are still in cold storage, with a shelf life of about six months. He claims the taste is identical and there is no quality defect, but the chains refuse. Babish has launched a marketing campaign with the slogan "Israeli pear – rough on the outside, sweet on the inside," and criticizes the lack of support from the Ministry of Agriculture. The article notes that the entire industry is suffering from a decline in orchard acreage and a lack of a coordinating body.