Distant markets opening to Dutch hard fruit

The Dutch Government and the agricultural sector are committed to finding new export destinations for the country’s hard fruit to avoid being overly dependent on any single market. In 2015, an agreement was reached with China to export pears, followed in 2016 by agreements with Brazil and Vietnam for both pears and apples. Agreements are being worked on with new distant markets such as Mexico for pears and South Africa for apples,

The disappointing 2016 export harvest for pears led to a smaller growing area in 2017. In the spring, a number of growers, particularly in South Limburg, were hit by night frost and export volumes will once again be down. The frost in other producing countries has created a shortage on the European market, which has increased sales opportunities closer to home