The Dutch strawberry market is on the rise. Consumers under 39 in the Netherlands bought 6% more strawberries in 2025 than a year earlier. At the same time, total strawberry production in the Netherlands increased to 91 million kilos. This and more can be found in the strawberry factsheet from GroentenFruit Huis.
Young consumers are increasingly finding their way to strawberries, an important development for the future of the sector. Rising demand is translating into further crop expansion. The area under strawberries will reach 1,337 hectares in 2025. Of this, 732 hectares will be grown outdoors, while cultivation under glass, including tunnel cultivation, will account for 605 hectares.
© GroentenFruit Huis
Growth appears structural
Strawberry production has shown an upward trend for years. In particular, the growth of greenhouse cultivation makes the sector less dependent on weather conditions and better able to meet increasing demand.
In 2025, consumers in the Netherlands will eat an average of 2.8 kilos of strawberries, or almost 6 cups (500 grams) per person. Five years ago, this was about 2.5 kilos. May and June are the months when strawberry consumption is highest. These two months account for almost 40 per cent of the total annual consumption.
Supermarkets dominate, and exports to neighbouring countries remain important
Strawberries are mainly sold through supermarkets, with over 83% of the volume moving through this channel. In addition, the Netherlands remains an important player in the European market, with total sales of 107 million kilos, including domestic production and transit. Besides domestic consumption, which accounts for 47%, the main export destinations are Germany (15%), the UK (11%), and Belgium (9%).
Promotional campaign boosts consumption
The three-year European soft fruit promotion campaign "A Handful of Summer" was launched in 2025. It includes strawberries, berries, raspberries, and blackberries. The campaign targets younger audiences and, after the first year, reached 32% of the target group aged 18 to 35 in the Netherlands, and as much as 50% in Belgium and Germany. Impact measurements show that consumers mainly associate soft fruit with positive perceptions, with most linking the category to summer.
The start of the new strawberry season also marked the second year of the European soft fruit campaign. In this campaign year, the focus is on further strengthening its impact through more targeted communication, responding to different consumption occasions, and encouraging consumers to choose soft fruit more often. The campaign remains continuously visible and builds step by step towards increased consumption.
View the full strawberry factsheet here
For more information:
GroentenFruit Huis
Louis Pasteurlaan 6
2719 EE Zoetermeer
+31 (0) 79 368 11 00
[email protected]
www.groentenfruithuis.nl
