In the Netherlands, in 2022, there were 536,000 hectares of agricultural land. That is 105,000 hectares (+2%) more than a year before. The barley area increased the most, but fewer seed onions and starch potatoes were grown. The acreage of arable crops has fallen by more than 15% since 2000. That is what the Central Bureau of Statistics' 2022 Agricultural Census preliminary results show.
Fewer seed onions
In 2022, seeds onions were cultivated on 273,000 hectares; 28,000 fewer (-9.3%) than in 2021. Then, the area of these onions increased by 11.3%. In the longer term, however, the area of seed onions has grown. Compared to 2000, the area has almost doubled.
Rising ware potato acreage
In 2022, Dutch ware potatoes' cultivation area increased by 55,000 hectares (+7.7%) to 769,000 hectares. In the two previous years, that area has fallen. Seed (-1%) and starch potatoes (-4%) acreages decreased slightly last year. Last year, ware potatoes were grown on nearly half (47%) of the total potato acreage. Seed and starch potatoes both had a 26.5% share.
Spring wheat acreage climbs by just over 27%
In 2022, the area under wheat covered nearly 125,000 hectares, about 54,000 hectares (+4,5%) more than the previous year. The spring wheat area rose by 27.3% last year. This year, 16,000 hectares of spring wheat will be cultivated. Nearly 13% of the wheat area now consists of spring wheat.
Spring wheat's acreage in the Netherlands is never the same from year to year. The share was highest in 2011 when it was grown on about a quarter of the area under wheat. The 2022 winter wheat acreage increased by close to 2,000 hectares (+1.9%) to 109,000 hectares.
More spring barley too
Spring barley's acreage grew too. In 2022, barley was cultivated on nearly 37,000 hectares, 69,000 hectares (+23%) more than in 2021. There was especially more spring barley, the acreage of which climbed by almost 30%. This year, 264,000 hectares of spring barley will be grown.
Spring barley acreage fluctuates annually too. In 2022, 71% of the Dutch barley acreage consisted of spring barley. Winter barley's 2022 acreage increased by almost 8,000m2 (+8.3%) to 106,000 hectares compared to a year earlier.
Source: CBS