In the past 15 years, strawberry production in the Netherlands has doubled, reaching over 86 million kilos in 2024, despite a 15% reduction in total cultivation area (now 1,400 hectares). This increase is mainly driven by the rapid expansion of greenhouse and plastic tunnel cultivation, which now accounts for 75% of total production, compared to just 50% in 2010.
The area under glass or plastic has more than doubled since 2010, reaching 602 hectares, and the yield from these systems has tripled to 66 million kilos. Meanwhile, open-field strawberry cultivation has shrunk by 44%, dropping to 758 hectares in 2024, though its production has decreased only slightly (–4.2%), totaling just over 20 million kilos.
Open-field and protected cultivation
In 2025, the open-field area dropped further to 724 hectares, while protected cultivation (greenhouses/tunnels) also declined slightly to 591 hectares (–1.8% compared to 2024). Updated harvest figures for 2025 are not yet available.
As for berries overall—including blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, red and black currants—they were grown on 1,400 hectares of open fields in 2025. Since 2010, total berry acreage has declined by nearly 4%.
Blueberries and black currants
Blueberries remain the most widely grown berry, but their cultivated area has dropped significantly—from 949 hectares in 2019 to 647 hectares in 2025. Black currants have seen the sharpest decline, down 64% since 2010, now covering just 196 hectares.
According to Statistics Netherlands, both blueberries and black currants face increasing competition from Eastern Europe, contributing to the shrinking acreage. Over half of Dutch berry production is located in the southern provinces of Limburg and Noord-Brabant.
Text and image source: nltimes.nl
