News Economy
Agricultural export volume decreases, value increases slightly
The volume of agricultural goods exported in 2023 was lower than in 2022. Because prices rose, the export value increased slightly to €123,8 billion. This also includes re-exports. The export value of Dutch agricultural products is approximately two-thirds of this (€82,1 billion). Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and CBS report this based on research commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
In 2022, when there were huge price increases, the growth in export value was 18,2%. In 2023, prices rose much less rapidly and for some products the price even fell. Despite declining volumes, more expensive potatoes, vegetables and grain products, among other things, still led to an increase in the export value of 2023% in 1,6. No number is attached to the export volume. "Insight into volume is more difficult to provide because there are many different units of a type of goods that are difficult to add and compare," the research report says.
The five most important product groups account for 42% of the export value. This concerns: dairy and eggs (€12 billion), floriculture (€11,5 billion), meat (€11,2 billion), potatoes and vegetables (€8,7) and drinks (€8,1 billion). . The export value of the first two in the list remained virtually the same. The value of meat exports increased by 2%. The export value of potatoes and vegetables rose sharply by 12%, as did that of fruit (+11%) and preparations of fruit and vegetables (+14%). Fruit and vegetables only increased in price and not in export volume. Potatoes, on the other hand, increased in both price and export volume.
The EU is becoming even more important as an export market
The EU is the most important export market for the Netherlands and has become even more important. The share increased by 2% to 71% in 2023. As in other years, most producers went to our neighboring countries. Almost a quarter (for €29,6 billion) goes to Germany, 12% to Belgium, 9% to France and 8% to the United Kingdom. Spain, the sixth export destination, is the biggest grower of the ten most important destinations with an increase of 12%. The export value to China (the eighth destination) actually shrank by 20%. According to Statistics Netherlands and WUR, this is mainly due to a lower demand for Dutch baby milk powder and pork, of which China itself produces more. The top 10 also includes: Poland (7), the United States (9) and Sweden (10).
The total earnings from the export of agricultural goods for the Dutch economy are estimated by Statistics Netherlands to be 2023% higher for 4 than in 2022, at €50,4 billion. Of this, €45,7 billion is Dutch-made exports and €4,7 billion is re-exports.
Trade surplus agricultural goods
As far as agricultural goods are concerned, there is a trade surplus. With the EU countries this is €37 billion, of which €14 billion with Germany. There is a trade surplus of €3 billion with the rest of the world.
The top 5 of Dutch imports account for 39% of the import value and consist of: natural fats and oils (€7,85 billion), fruit (€7,62 billion), drinks (€5,95 billion), other agricultural goods (€5,77 billion) and dairy and eggs (€5,71 billion).
Linda van Eekeres
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