According to statistics published by Dutch fresh produce organisation Productschap Tuinbouw, exports of fresh fruit and vegetables from the Netherlands – excluding onions – amounted to 258,000 tonnes in the first three months of this year, 25 per cent less than the volume shipped during the same period of 2008.
The group cited a number of reasons for the decrease, including a later start to the country's glasshouse season, lower harvested volumes of pears, carrots and leeks, and a significantly higher volume of apples available from other European countries.
As a result, Dutch exports to Russia between January and March declined by 53 per cent compared with the year-earlier period, while shipments to Germany and the UK were down 17 per cent and 25 per cent year-on-year.
