CBI MARKET SURVEY: THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES MARKET IN THE NETHERLANDS CBI MARKET SURVEY THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES MARKET IN THE NETHERLANDS Publication date: October 2006 Report summary This market survey presents the following highlights of the fresh fruit and vegetables market in the Netherlands: • The Netherlands is an important importer of fruit and vegetables from developing countries, serving as an important turntable in the European fruit and vegetables trade. • The domestic market for these products is small for the volume of imports, which are for a large part re-exported to other European countries such as Germany and the UK. • The Netherlands is especially strong in minor exotic fruits such as mangos and passion fruit, but less so in bananas and pineapples. • Imports of vegetables from developing countries are large, concentrating on a few major products such as beans, peas and asparagus. The survey provides exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables with sector-specific market information related to gaining access to the Netherlands. By focusing on a specific country, this document provides complementary information to the more general information and data provided in the CBI market survey ‘The fresh fruit and vegetables market in the EU’, which covers the EU in general. That survey also contains an overview and explanation of the selected products dealt with, some general remarks on the statistics used, as well as information on other available documents for this sector. It can be downloaded from http://www.cbi.nl/marketinfo. 1. Market description: consumption and production Consumption Product groups Fruit According to the Commodity Board for Horticulture, consumption of fresh fruit amounted to 94 kg per household in 2005 (Table 1.1).1 While consumption volume increased slightly compared to 2002, value decreased by 4%. The most popular fruits are apples, oranges and bananas, together accounting for about two-third of consumption. Tangerines, pears, kiwi fruit, pineapples, nectarines and strawberries are growing in popularity. Total domestic fruit consumption was 660 thousand tonnes in 2005. Table 1.1 Consumption per household of fresh fruit and vegetables in the Netherlands, 2002 and 2005, and most popular species Fruit Vegetables 2002 2005 2002 2005 € 139 133 € 146 152 kg 93 94 kg 72 74 Apples Lettuce Oranges Tomatoes Bananas Cucumbers Tangerines Sweet peppers 1 These figures may differ from figures in the CBI market survey Fresh fruit and vegetables in the EU. In the CBI market surveys covering individual countries national sources are preferred for providing the most detailed information, while the general survey uses statistics that are easily comparable between countries. Source: CBI Market Information Database • URL: www.cbi.nl • Contact: [email protected] • www.cbi.nl/disclaimer Page 1 of 10 CBI MARKET SURVEY: THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES MARKET IN THE NETHERLANDS Fruit Vegetables Strawberries Mushrooms Grapes Chicory Pears Beans Kiwi fruits Cauliflower Melons Carrots Nectarines Source: Commodity Board for Horticulture, 2006 Vegetables In 2005, household consumption of vegetables was 74 kg, an increase of 3% compared to 2002. The value of the purchases grew by 4%, to €152 per household in 2005. Domestically grown products such as lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers are the most popular. Tomatoes and sweet pepper are growing in popularity. Pre-packed vegetables are also popular, accounting for more than 50% of total vegetable sales. The household market for vegetables measured 515 thousand tonnes. Market segmentation The amount of pre-cut and pre-packed vegetables has been growing considerably. Young people, single households, and households with young children consider convenience more important than elderly people. Elderly people spend more time on preparing meals and take time to eat fruit. The number of elderly people is growing. The market for organic products is small compared to other EU countries but it is growing steadily. Especially the multiple retailers are enlarging their offer of organic fruit and vegetables. Trends in consumption According to a survey published by the Commodity Board for Horticulture, one of the major trends in the Netherlands is the growing demand for convenient and timesaving ways of preparing meals. This trend applies in particular to vegetables as expressed by the growing sales of pre-packed and semi-prepared vegetables. The demand for convenience in fruit is also noticeable. Apples, easy-peeling citrus fruit and especially bananas are popular because they are easy to consume. Supermarkets also offer fruits such as pineapple and melon in a pre-cut and pre-packed form. Vegetables that were traditionally only available during a short period in the year (domestically grown vegetables) have become year-round available and consumers have gotten used to that. Dutch consumers are quite open to new products. Retailers now offer seasonings and ready- meal packages for a wide variety of different international dishes. The offer of exotic fruits has also increased and Dutch consumers are becoming used to the newer exotics such as mangos and passion fruit. Production Total production The Netherlands produced 695 thousand tonnes of fruit in 2005, 1% of total EU production. Production of vegetables amounted to 3,831 tonnes, which was 6% of total EU production (Table 1.2). The total value of fruit production was €360 million in 2004. Total vegetable production amounted to €1.8 billion in 2005. Fruit production has grown faster than vegetable production, increasing by 31% between 2001 and 2005 compared to vegetables 5%. Apples are the most important fruit with 436 thousand tonnes produced in 2005. Although between 2001 and 2005 production volume increased by 7%, the share in total fruit production declined from 77% to 63%. Pear production almost tripled between 2001 and Source: CBI Market Information Database • URL: www.cbi.nl • Contact: [email protected] • www.cbi.nl/disclaimer Page 2 of 10 CBI MARKET SURVEY: THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES MARKET IN THE NETHERLANDS 2003; in 2005 it accounted for 30% of total fruit production. Strawberries account for another 5% of total, leaving just 2% for cherries, plums and berries. Table 1.2 Production of fresh fruit and vegetables in the Netherlands, per product group, 2001-2005, in thousand tonnes 2001 2003 2005 2001 2003 2005 Total fruit 531 569 695 Total vegetables 3,632 3,772 3,831 Apples 408 359 436 Onions 765 809 800 Pears 76 159 208 Tomatoes 550 595 645 Strawberries 34 36 36 Cucumbers/gherkins 425 430 435 Plums 5 6 6 Carrots 378 432 430 Blueberries 4 4 4 Peppers 295 315 315 Currants 3 3 3 Mushrooms 275 263 260 Other fruit 2 2 2 Cabbages 266 259 257 Leeks 100 104 104 Other vegetables 577 565 585 Source: FAOSTAT 2006 The Netherlands is the sixth largest producer of vegetables in the EU. The most important products are onions, with 21% of national production, tomatoes (16%), carrots (11%), and cucumbers and gherkins (11%). Although production increased, the volume shares of the vegetable products remained the same. A part of the domestically produced fruits and vegetables is used in the food industry, and this is probably the destination of some of the imports as well. Apples for example are used for making applesauce (Table 1.3). Table 1.3 Processing of fresh fruit and vegetables* in the Netherlands, in thousand tonnes 2000 2002 2004 2000 2002 2004 Total fruit 127.5 99.9 123.5 Total vegetables 561.0 595.7 529.0 Apples 96.2 76.8 91.9 White mushrooms 172.2 173.2 171.9 Pears 5.5 3.5 3.2 Carrots 65.2 77.0 56.3 Beans 43.0 61.4 56.0 Spinach 49.2 55.4 45.0 Green peas 37.6 44.6 39.1 White cabbage 27.4 27.2 28.0 Onion 24.3 15.4 24.1 *fruit and vegetables from domestic production and import Source: Commodity Board for Horticulture, 2005 Forecast and trends in production A substantial part of Dutch vegetables production takes place in greenhouses, especially of tomatoes, sweet pepper and cucumbers, which allows for a high level of control on quality and environmental impacts. Responding to an eroding reputation for taste in the 1980s, the Netherlands has successfully implemented a strong focus on taste, offering a much wider and more varied range of for example tomatoes. The main destinations for these products are Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium. Onions, which have a longer shelf life, find markets in a much wider circle, including many countries in Africa. Production of vegetables has continued to grow in spite of strong competition from especially Spain and Poland. Fruit production (especially of pears) is also experiencing growth. Opportunities and threats Domestically grown products dominate consumption of fruit and vegetables, but the interest in exotics is growing. The assortment in retail outlets has grown over the years and Dutch consumers are used to having a wide variety of fruits and vegetables permanently available. Year-round availability of fruits and vegetables is common practice in retailing. Source: CBI Market Information Database • URL: www.cbi.nl • Contact: [email protected] • www.cbi.nl/disclaimer Page 3 of 10 CBI MARKET SURVEY: THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES MARKET IN THE NETHERLANDS Useful sources • Commodity Board of Horticulture. http://www.tuinbouw.nl. 2. Trade: imports and exports Imports Total imports In 2005, fresh fruit imports into the Netherlands amounted to €1.7 billion and 2.15 million tonnes. The Netherlands is the fifth largest fruit importer of the EU, accounting for 9.5% of total import value in 2005. From 2001 to 2005, import value of fruit increased by 3% and volume by 7%. Total imports of fresh vegetables in 2005 were €679 million and 735 thousand tonnes. Compared to 2001, vegetables imports increased by 1% in value, while volume decreased by 8%.