OTTAWA — Blueberries have become the number one fruit crop in Canada, surpassing apples.

Statistics Canada reported in February that data shows blueberries became the number one crop in 1996 for the number of acres planted.

While the number of acres of apples has been declining, blueberry acreage has been increasing by 10 per cent a year.

According to the 2001 census, Canadian farmer planted 108,679 acres of blueberries. British Columbia accounted for 48 per cent of land planted with blueberries.

Apples are the bigger money-maker. In 2004, farmers sold 370,000 tonnes of apples with a farm gate value of $137 million dollars.

Blueberry lands produced only 79,000 tonnes of the fruit. That was valued at $130 million.