News Crops
More potatoes and onions in the Netherlands
The area of sowing onions and table potatoes has grown this year in the Netherlands. The CBS calculates this based on the preliminary area figures. For potatoes, this represents a growth in area of over 4%. For onions, it is 12%. Never before have so many onions been grown in our country.
The total area of potatoes in the Netherlands is decreasing by 1,220 hectares this year. This is mainly due to a decrease in the cultivation of starch potatoes (39,000 hectares, an 8% decrease). The area of seed potatoes remains stable at 40,000 hectares according to the CBS. The cultivation of table potatoes is the only one increasing, by 4.3%, to over 78,000 hectares. The potato cultivation also decreased in 2023.
Record onion area
The area of sowing onions has reached a record in 2024. In total, it amounts to 32,700 hectares, which is 12.2% more than in 2023. Yellow onions account for 86% of the area. Red onions cover 4,578 hectares. Shallots have increased by 14.3% to 6,000 hectares.
The wet autumn has significantly affected the area of winter wheat. The area decreases by 34% (41,000 hectares) to a total of 80,000 hectares. The cultivation of spring wheat has doubled to 17,000 hectares compared to 2023. Spring barley grew by a quarter, to 25,700 hectares. Winter barley was sown 10% less: 13,000 hectares. In total, fewer grains have been sown than in 2023.
More flax, less field beans
Sugar beets amount to 84,820 hectares according to the CBS. The increase in fiber crops such as flax and hemp is striking. Percentage-wise, this is a significant 62% increase, but in absolute numbers, 7,000 hectares remain relatively modest. Last year, the area of field beans doubled, but this crop also suffered from the wet autumn. The area shrinks by 32% to 3,000 hectares.
