For the first time ever, the Netherlands has more pear orchards than apple orchards, the national statistics office CBS said on Tuesday.

The amount of land used for apple growing fell 2% to 8,120 hectares in 2012. Pear growing land increased by 2% to 8,350 hectares.
In total, the country has apple and pear orchards covering 16,500 hectares of land, says the CBS.
The production of apples has been falling for decades and is about fifth of what it was 60 years ago. Pear production has also fallen to a fraction of the 14,000 hectares it once was. But pears are making a come-back, says the CBS.
The Netherlands is the fourth largest pear producer in Europe, behind Italy, Spain and Belgium.