Dutch strawberry harvest doubled in 15 years

The strawberry harvest has doubled in the Netherlands in the last 15 years, Statistics Netherlands has reported. This is mainly because more strawberries are being grown under glass greenhouses and plastic tunnels. The total cultivation area for strawberries has decreased by more than 15 percent over the same period, to 1,400 hectares.

Last year, more than 86 million kilos of strawberries were harvested, which was double of the amount compared to 2010. In 2024, the harvest from greenhouses and tunnels accounted for three-quarters of total strawberry production. In 2010, this was still only half.

The cultivation area under glass greenhouses and plastic tunnels has more than doubled since 2010, reaching 602 hectares. During the same period, the harvest of these strawberries has more than tripled to 66 million kilos.

In 2024, strawberries were grown in open fields on 758 hectares, nearly 44 percent less than in 2010. Despite the smaller area, the harvest during this period decreased by only 4.2 percent. In 2024, the open-field harvest totaled just over 20 million kilos.

According to Statistics Netherlands, there are currently no figures available regarding harvest numbers for 2025, but there are current numbers regarding cultivation areas. The area of strawberries grown in open fields has further declined to 724 hectares, 4.5 percent smaller than the year before. The area under glass greenhouses and plastic tunnels decreased by 1.8 percent compared to 2024, to 591 hectares.

Thus far, small fruit was grown in open fields on 1,400 hectares in 2025, according to Statistics Netherlands. Small fruit includes blueberries, red currants, blackberries, raspberries, and black currants.

Since 2010, the cultivation area for small fruit has decreased by nearly 4 percent. Among these, blueberries are the most widely grown. After peaking at 949 hectares in 2019, the cultivation area for blueberries dropped to 647 hectares in 2025.

Since 2010, the cultivation area for black currants has decreased by 64 percent, reaching 196 hectares in 2025. According to Statistics Netherlands, both black and blueberries are facing competition from Eastern Europe. More than half of the small fruit in the Netherlands is grown in Limburg and Noord-Brabant.