that amaze you
7 remarkable agricultural facts in a row
The Netherlands may only be a pinprick on the world map, but our agricultural sector is world famous. This gives us the title of 'The tiny country that feeds the world'. Not only does our agricultural sector provide a lot of safe food, it is also a melting pot of new technologies, which are eagerly sought after worldwide. Boerenbusiness listed 7 remarkable facts.
'This tiny country feeds the world' headed National Geographic Magazine in their September issue. The journalists flawlessly summed up the incredible achievements the Dutch agricultural sector continues to achieve. In the world ranking, it ranks number 2 in the export of agricultural goods. This makes exports good for €2016 billion in 85 and this figure is increasing year on year.
135
billion sek
The United States (US) is in first place with $135 billion, converted to €1 billion. That difference is significant, but the landmass of the country is therefore 113,92 times as large as the Netherlands. What other remarkable facts does the agricultural sector produce?
1. Seed
Of all global trade in starting material, such as seeds and seed potatoes, about a third in Dutch hands† The export value of Dutch seed companies amounted to $2016 billion in 1,7. This means that our small country has the largest share in this sector. A striking fact: The Netherlands was the last Western country in the world to experience the famine during the last year of the Second World War.
2. Glyphosate
A ban on glyphosate has for farmers a loss of income of $6,76 billion. That is according to a recent study. The drop in production per crop is sometimes large; for worldwide soy this is even 18,6 million tons. This loss is estimated at 3,1 million tons in grain maize in particular.
In addition, the report states that 8,2 million kilos of herbicide are used for weed control. That is an increase of 1,7%. To counteract the negative consequences, an additional 762.000 hectares will be put into use, resulting in 167.000 hectares of deforestation. Since more plowing will take place, CO2 emissions will increase by 234.000 million kilos.
3. Suicide
The US agricultural sector has highest number of suicides† A recent study, conducted in 17 states, found that suicide rates are 5 times higher than the average American population. The final figure is thought to be even higher, because a number of large agricultural states (such as Iowa) were not included in the study.
However, the international figures differ greatly. In the United Kingdom (UK), about 1 agricultural entrepreneur per week commits suicide. In France that is 1 farmer every 2 days. No figures are registered in the Netherlands.
4. Family business
Of all Dutch farms, 92% a family business† No other industry has so many family businesses. In total, 70% of Dutch companies are family businesses. In the US, the share of family businesses is even 97%.
768
million
5. Sugarcane
In volume, sugar cane the largest crop in the world. According to FAO figures, Brazil's sugar cane harvest is the largest in the world, with a volume of 768 million tons. Much lower (place 2) is the US corn crop of 353,69 million tons.
It is special to see that the top 10 largest crops (in terms of volume) in 4 positions are filled by sugar cane. If we look at the surface, wheat takes up most of the hectares. This crop is followed by rice and maize. Interestingly enough, bananas take fourth place.
6. Aging
A quarter of all farmers in the Netherlands are Over 65† This makes the agricultural sector one of the most aging sectors in our country. Of the total working population, consisting of 8,2 million people, 2% is 65 years or older.
Despite the aging population, the number of jobs is expected to decline. It is also noticeable that the smaller the company, the higher the age of the farmer. Aging is a global problem for agriculture. In the US, for example, 60% of all farmers are 55 years of age or older.
7. Grant money
Of all farm income in the European Union, 19% comes from subsidy funds† That's average. Norway leads the way with 60%. This is followed by Korea and China with 49% and 21% respectively. In Australia, the subsidy percentage is only 1%. This makes the country one of the least subsidized countries in the world.
Niels van der Boom
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.