Dutch fruit and vegetable exports fell by 8 per cent to 995,000 tonnes during the first half of this year, compared with the same period of 2010, according to new figures released by Productschap Tuinbouw.
The impact of the E.coli crisis, which saw Russia ban all imports of EU vegetables in early June, was considerable, with total Dutch fresh produce exports during that month alone slipping by 18 per cent year on year.
Exports to Germany, the Netherlands' biggest fruit and vegetable market, were 10 per cent lower between January and June at 383,000 tonnes, with fewer tomatoes and cucumbers – products wrongly assumed to be at the centre of the E.coli outbreak – shipped to the country.
However, there was some positive news for exporters of Dutch asparagus and cabbage, both of which saw an increase in sales to Germany during the first six months of 2011.
Elsewhere, exports to the UK decreased by 13 per cent to 142,000 tonnes during the same period, while sales to Russia (52,000 tonnes, -24 per cent) and France (59,000 tonnes, -21 per cent) were also down.
Moderate losses were recorded in Sweden (51,000 tonnes, -5 per cent) and Denmark (26,000 tonnes, -8 per cent), but sales were up in Poland (48,000 tonnes, up 34 per cent) and Italy (35,000 tonnes, up 7 per cent).
Exports of Dutch onions in the first half of 2011 were 20 per cent lower than in the same period of 2010, Productschap Tuinbouw reported.
'The decrease from 490,000 tonnes to 393,000 tonnes is largely due to the decline in exports to Russia, which has decreased from 118,000 tonnes to 86,000 tonnes,' the group said.
Exports to many European destinations, including Germany, France and Poland, were also lower than last year.
'In June, exports to Poland again seriously contracted,' it added. 'Exports to Senegal and Ivory Coast in June was also still at a very low level compared with last year.'
