Compared to 2023, exports rose by 1.9%, reaching €56.7 billion. However, imports grew even more, by 6.1%, to €47.6 billion. The Flemish agricultural trade surplus now stands at €9.1 billion. Pears are the most important export product of Flanders’ own production. In 2024, Flanders exported 309,000 tonnes of pears worth €348 million. While the volume remained stable compared to 2023, the increase in prices led to an 8% rise in export value. Since 2019, the export value has grown year after year and has even doubled in the past five years.
Given that pear imports remain limited, the agricultural trade surplus has increased, currently standing at €306 million. Export volumes have hovered around 300,000 tonnes over the past ten years, depending on availability, reaching a peak in 2021 and a low in 2018. The pear cultivation area in Flanders—primarily focused on the Conference variety—has grown by 12.5% compared to a decade ago.
RELATED NEWS: European pear producers seek joint solutions at Interpera 2025
The Netherlands is the largest market for Flemish pears, with a volume of 66,000 tonnes and a value of €58 million in 2024. Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Estonia, France, and Italy also each purchase more than 20,000 tonnes.
However, due to higher prices across the Channel, the value of exports to the UK is disproportionately high compared to the volume shipped. Outside the EU, sales to China in particular are increasing. Regarding traditionally high exports of fresh fruit, it’s worth noting that these figures are influenced not only by strong exports of homegrown pears and strawberries, but also by the transit trade in bananas, kiwis, and other exotic fruits.
