Dutch consumers stay loyal to the whole cucumber when purchasing. Nine out of ten Dutch people traditionally buy their cucumbers fresh and uncut, even though (pre)processed products are on the rise in the vegetable isle. Over five percent buy their vegetables precut. That percentage is five times higher in Germany, as is shown by the Vegetable and Fruit Monitor of the Horticultural Product Board (PT).
Consumers of both countries prefer this fruit vegetable raw. About a quarter in our country eats cucumber as a snack; in Germany it's about 10%. The majority of cucumber ends up in a salad, this is true for 80% of consumers in Germany and over 65% of consumers in the Netherlands. Four out of ten Dutch people eat cucumber with a meal that has potato as the main ingredient. Bread, pasta and fries each score around 15%. There is more variety in meat selection.
German consumers eat almost twice as many Dutch cucumbers as we do ourselves. About 302 million kilos out of a total production of 410 million kilos went across the border. Nearly 196 million kilos of those were destined for Germany (nearly 65%). In the past few years this market made up 60 to 65% of total foreign purchases. The United Kingdom consumes 15% on the whole. The total export of cucumbers, including re-exports, amounts to 405 million kilos. The cucumber import, mainly from Spain and to a lesser extent Belgium and Germany, increased steadily in the last few years to more than 100 million kilos in 2011.
Sector statistics and results of the Vegetable and Fruit Monitor can be found on www.tuinbouw.nl. The site www.veggipedia.nl provides information on nutritional values and tips on storing, buying and preparing vegetables and fruit. For more information on the Vegetable and Fruit Monitor you can contact Anne Marie Borgdorff, tel. +31 (0)79 3470646 or e-mail [email protected]. For information on sector statistics you can turn to Peter van der Salm, tel +31 (0)79 3470662 or e-mail [email protected].