Dutch vegetable production has enjoyed a steady but significant rise over the last decade, according to new data published by the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
According tothe figures, growers in the Netherlands produced 4.63m tonnesof vegetables in 2009, around 28 per cent up on the figure for 2000 and a3.3 per cent increase on 2008.
Output has climbed steadily apartfrom a dip in 2005 and 2006, when production fell to just over four million tonnes, the UN figures revealed.
Onionsare the largest vegetable crop produced in the country, now accounting for 28 per cent of vegetable volumes in 2009, at 1.27m tonnes.
Tomatoes accounted for the next largest share with 17 per cent, followed by root crops, carrots and turnips with 12 per cent of output and cucumbers on nine per cent, with capsicum and chillies on eight per cent.
In value terms, tomato income outstripped those of onions as tomatoes earned US$296m (€215.3m) compared with US$267m (€194.2m) for onion production.
Meanwhile, mushroom output from the Netherlands in 2009 was recorded at 235,000 tonnes with a value of US$424m (€308.4m).
Infruit, apples were reported to be both the biggest volume and value line, accounting for income of US$172m (€125.1m) and volume of 407,000 tonnes, followed bypears at US$121m (€88m) and 295,000 tonnes in 2009.
Strawberries were the third largest fruit line in volume and value, with output standing at 52,600 tonnes and value at US$71.4m (€51.9m).
