Belgium has emerged as the top producer of pears in the European Union, experiencing a remarkable 19% surge in this year's production, reaching an estimated 412 million kilograms.

This significant growth stands in contrast to the European trend, which has seen a decline in pear crop yields.

Italy, which was previously the leading producer, is now facing a challenging situation with an exceptionally poor crop. Luc Vanoirbeek from the Belgian Federation of Horticultural Cooperatives (VBT) pointed to climate change as a major factor influencing the decline. Italy's crop yield has plummeted to 182 million kilograms, a striking decrease from its usual production of 1 million tonnes.

On the other hand, Belgium's apple production has experienced disappointing results this year, with estimates at 203 million kilograms, representing a nearly 15% decrease from the previous year. The overall apple production across the European region has also seen a decline of approximately 3%, totaling 11.7 million tonnes.

The VBT highlights that there has been a reduction in the area dedicated to apple cultivation since the 2018-2019 season, shrinking by 1,089 hectares to 4,896 hectares. Notably, traditional apple varieties like Jonagold and Jonagored have seen a decline in cultivation, while other non-traditional apple varieties have seen a substantial increase of 40%. Photo by Rhododendrites, Wikimedia commons.