Strong increase for pear
The pear acreage went up from 5 thousand hectares in 1989, to 8.6 thousand hectares in 2014. The pear is becoming increasingly popular among growers. Now, one hectare of pears yields 40 thousand kg, twice the amount as a quarter of a century ago. For the whole of the Netherlands, that's about 130 million 2.5 kg bags, thrice the amount as 25 years ago.
Apple tree area halved
Fruit growers increasingly opt for pears at the expense of the apple. In part, this has to do with market development, with the pear gaining popularity. The area of apples has halved over the past quarter of a century, to 7.8 thousand hectares. The yield per hectare doubled in the same period. In 2013, Dutch fruit growers, for the first time, produced more pears (327 million kg) than apples (314 million kg).
Doubling yields per hectare
High export apples and pears
However, the pear doesn't seem to be that popular with Dutch consumers. Only two percent opt for a pear as a juicy snack, compared to the 16 percent who go for an apple. A large part of the fruit produced in the Netherlands is exported. The Dutch pear is popular abroad. Last year, 140 million kg of pears were exported, nearly twice as much as the export of apples.
Source: Statistics Netherlands