Belgium has officially become the European Union's largest producer of pears, accounting for nearly one-fourth of total supply in the economic bloc, RTL Info reports.
This year, Belgium is on track to produce a record 412 million kilograms of pears, marking a 19% increase over the previous year. The surge in pear production is largely attributed to increasingly favourable Belgian weather conditions, including a mix of sun and rain without extreme droughts or flooding. As a result, the pears are expected to be larger in size.
The booming pear industry is also drawing interest from apple producers. The area of land allocated to pear cultivation has grown by 2,000 to 3,000 hectares over the past decade, now totalling around 11,000 hectares.
In contrast, the production of apples in Belgium has declined by 15%, with approximately 203 million kilograms expected to be produced this year.
The robust growth in pear production signifies not just a win for Belgian agriculture but also shifts the dynamics within the EU’s fruit production landscape.
While Belgium's pear crop has done well this year, its cherry industry has hard a rough start to the year. The price of cherries soared to €10-12 per kilo on the back of a European shortage. A poor early growing season, marked by heavy rains, massively reduced the Belgian harvest.
