More tomatoes and strawberries in Dutch greenhouses

The Dutch cultivation of flowers, plants and vegetables has decreased for the fifth consecutive year. Rose growers are hit particularly hard: rose acreage dropped by nearly 20 percent in 2014. Increasing competition from African countries is the reason for the decline of flowers in our country. However, more tomatoes came from Dutch greenhouses this year.

Dutch roses in decline
The cultivation of flowers, plants and vegetables under glass has contracted for the fifth year in a row, to 9.5 thousand hectares (2014). From 2000 to 2014, the acreage of cut flowers decreased by 45 percent, to 2.0 thousand hectares. The cut flower industry loses a lot of ground through increasing competition from African countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia. In 2014 alone, growers in the Netherlands grew 73 ha (19 percent) less than in 2013.

More tomatoes and strawberries from the greenhouse
The acreage of greenhouse vegetables dropped by 1 percent in 2014. The cultivation of peppers is also on the decline (7 percent reduction in acreage), as are cucumbers (3 percent). The acreage for tomatoes rose slightly, by 1 percent, and the strawberry acreage increased by 8 percent.

Dutch greenhouse vegetables are mostly exported. 90 percent of tomato is shipped to foreign destinations, 75 percent of cucumbers and 85 percent of peppers. Germany and the UK are the main customers.

Decline in almost all provinces, but especially in the Westland
In South Holland, the decline of greenhouse acreage was most prominent with 162 hectares (3 percent). The decrease occurred mainly in the Westland, where horticulture is under great pressure. In the province of Limburg, the decline is 58 hectares (6 percent), in North Holland 34 hectares (4 percent). Greenhouse acreage grew slightly in Groningen and Overijssel.