The export value of Dutch horticultural products remained with 16.2 billion Euro at the same level in 2010 as the previous year. The import value increased to 9.1 billion Euro, an increase of half a billion Euro. The local production decreased with the same amount to 8.6 billion Euro, as per the estimates of the Productschap Tuinbouw (PT). Less demand, large supply and resulting low prices caused a disappointing year in general, according to PT.
The lower production value is mainly to be attributed to the decrease in production of glasshouse vegetables. The year was a disaster for the sector because of the EHEC-crisis, bad summer weather and a large supply. The EHEC-crisis stopped the export at the height of the production season. As a result the export of vegetables to all important export markets decreased by a total value of 4.6 billion Euro.
The production value of fresh vegetables decreased in total by more than 20 percent to 1.9 billion Euro. Mushrooms were the exception with an increase in the production value of almost 15%. Also for apples the production value was higher because of the good prices during the first half of the year. The production value of pears remained stable. The large harvest of hard fruit in 2011 was the cause of
lower prices in the second half of the year. The fruit export including re-export increased from 4,2 billion Euro in 2010 to 4,5 billion in 2011.