Dutch vegetable exports up 7%
After little change in 2013, there was also a 44% spike in fruit exports – mainly thanks to pears – as at week 44 of 2014.
Vegetable exports from the Netherlands reached 2.55 million tons during the first 44 weeks of 2014, compared to 2.39 million in 2013 and 2.34 million in 2012. Among the top 10 varieties exported, field vegetables registered the most growth: white cabbage exports were up 58% of to 48,577 tons, leeks 29% to 30,790 tons and iceberg lettuce 25% to 39,011 tons.
Onions, with 809,390 tons, remain the top vegetable export, followed by tomatoes with 743,257 tons. Meanwhile, the salad vegetables have seen significant progress with average gains of 10% (cucumbers +12%, peppers +11%, tomatoes +6%).
Pears represent two thirds of Dutch fruit exports and have increased significantly, to 181,525 tons – up 80% on 2013 and 13% on 2012. After a poor crop in 2013, production of this fruit has fully recovered.
On average, Dutch exports increased about 10% in 2014 and across the five main export destinations, except in the case of France (-12%). Germany is by far the Netherlands’ top customer, taking 816,744 tons in 2014 as at week 44, up 9% on 2013.
-MW
This is an abbreviated version of an article on p48 of edition 135 of Eurofresh Distribution magazine. Read the full article for free here.
