Netherlands: Production of summer vegetables has increased

In 2011 over two million tonnes of summer vegetables were produced. That's almost a quarter more than in 2000. The increase in the production of courgette was the largest in this period. Green beans have the largest share, with almost 5000 hectares (20%) of the area of summer vegetables. Summer vegetables referred to are the vegetables that are used fresh from harvest in the Summer: strawberries, lettuce, spinach, baby carrots, bunch and washed carrots, beetroot, radish, peas, green beans, broad beans, aubergine, courgette, cucumber, pepper and tomato.

Acreage and Production of Summer vegetables

More production on less ground

The production of Summer vegetables increased in the period 2000 to 2011 by 386 million kilos (+23 percent). The area decreased in that period by almost 1.5 thousand hectares (-6%) to 24 thousand hectares. The production increased can mainly be attributed to the cultivation in greenhouses. In the years 2000-2011 the share of Summer vegetables grown under glass increased from 6 percent to 79 percent of the production. The yields per hectares of summer vegetables, grown under glass, are on average 20 times higher than the other Summer vegetables.

Development of acreage 2000-2011 %

Radish Peas Lettuce Beetroot Tomato Courgette

Source: CBS

Courgette biggest grower

In 2011, 18 thousand tonnes of courgette were produced. This is almost two thirds more than in 2000. This was the largest increase in the production of summer vegetables. The largest grower in area was also for courgette. The area of courgette grew from 2000 by 77 percent to 265 hectare in 2011. Tomatoes are in second place with an area extension of 570 hectare (+50 percent). In third place the beetroot with an increase of 150 hectare (+42 percent). The biggest decrease in the area of summer vegetables was for radish (-26 percent0 followed by peas (-33 percent) and lettuce (-23 percent). In total the area of summer vegetables decreased by 6 percent.

Area of green beans the highest

In 2011 green beans have the largest share of total area of summer vegetables with 4.9 thousand hectares (20%), followed by peas with 3.9 thousand hectares and carrots with 3.2 thousand hectares. The tomato has the largest area of summer vegetables in greenhouses with 1.7 thousand hectares.

Source: CBS