Agricultural exports break through €100 billion | Financial

This is evident from figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and Wageningen University and Research (WUR). This is the sixth agricultural export record in a row. Incidentally, agricultural imports grew even faster, by 9.9% to €72.5 billion, bringing the trade surplus to €32.2 billion, the highest value ever measured.

Agricultural exports last year were €9 billion higher than the year before. Both export volume and prices increased, but the price increase was slightly higher than the volume growth.

Of the €104.7 billion in export value, €75.7 billion comes from Dutch-made products and the rest from re-exports of foreign agricultural goods. The Dutch economy earned an estimated €46.1 billion in agricultural exports last year.

However, the Dutch farmers stay close to home with their products. A quarter of the export (€26.3 billion) goes to Germany. Belgium with a share of 12%, France and the United Kingdom (both 8%).

Brexit

Exports to the United Kingdom are stagnating. This is not because Dutch farmers can no longer store their belongings there, but because re-exports of agricultural goods to the United Kingdom have fallen by more than a third. Since 1 January last year, because of import duties, it has become more attractive to transport goods from outside the European Union directly to the United Kingdom and not via the Netherlands.

The Dutch agricultural sector was not affected much by the Brexit last year. The export of Dutch agricultural products even increased by 14%. This year will probably be different, because there are now customs controls on animal and plant products.

Flowers

Flowers and plants remain the best-selling agricultural products abroad by a street length. In 2021, €12 billion worth of ornamental horticultural products was exported, a quarter more than in corona year 2020. The increase in the export value is mainly the result of higher prices.

€9.1 billion of meat was exported, an increase of 7%. Only pork exports showed a decline. Demand for pork from China has fallen sharply as the country has restarted its own pork production after the country was hit by the African swine fever outbreak.

Dairy and egg exports rose 5% to €8.7 billion. It is striking, incidentally, that the import of butter here also increased, whereby we get a quarter more from Ireland.

The export of potatoes and vegetables shows a cautious growth of almost 2% to €7.2 billion. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are the main export products.

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