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Apples Take a Hit
This year's apple crop is expected to come in at just under 200 million kilograms, a drop of roughly 20 percent compared with last year's yield. Growers say the decline shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Apple trees tend to follow what's known as an alternate bearing pattern, meaning a particularly strong harvest one year is often followed by a lighter one the next. A spokesperson for the fruit and vegetable trade organization GroentenFruit Huis explained that after producing an above-average crop, trees naturally need time to recover, resulting in fewer fruits the following season.
Some of the country's most familiar apple varieties are feeling the impact more than others. Elstar, by far the most commonly grown apple in the Netherlands, is expected to see a 21 percent drop in production this year. Jonagold isn't far behind, with output projected to fall by around 20 percent compared to 2025.
It's not just this year's weather cycle at play, either. The overall footprint of Dutch apple orchards has been steadily shrinking for years, and that trend continued in 2025, with total orchard area down 3 percent. According to the GroentenFruit Huis spokesperson, weakening demand is largely to blame. Export markets have cooled as demand from other countries has softened, and at home, apple consumption has either stayed flat or continued to slide.
Pears Are Having a Much Better Season
While apple growers brace for a leaner year, pear producers have reason to celebrate. Figures from GroentenFruit Huis and the Dutch Fruit Growers Organization, or NFO, point to a pear harvest of nearly 400 million kilograms, a jump of 10 percent from last year.
Growing conditions this year worked in favor of pear trees, the spokesperson noted. That's a welcome turnaround, particularly for growers in the Betuwe region, where last year's pear harvest fell short of expectations. This time around, the outlook there looks considerably brighter.
What Comes Next
Both crops still have some growing left to do before final numbers are locked in. How the harvests ultimately turn out, in terms of both size and quality, will largely hinge on the weather over the next several weeks, especially whether orchards get enough water during this critical stretch of the growing season. Shoppers can expect to start seeing the new season's Dutch apples and pears appear in stores from late August.
