The sale of blueberries has soared 8% in the first six months of this year and rose no less than 250% between 2013 and last year, the national statistics office CBS said on Monday.

The amount of agricultural land devoted to growing the berry has risen to 970 hectares, excluding green house production, the CBS said.

Blueberries are now the third most cultivated fruit sort in the Netherlands, behind apples and pears. The rise is partly due to the ‘healthy image’ that the berry has, the CBS said.

Imports have also risen, reaching 9.8 million kilos last year, three times the 2013 total. More than 50% of imported berries come from Spain and Portugal.