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Dutch cheese export trumped by Poland

7 August 2019 - Wouter Baan - 10 comments

Gouda cheese, like tulips, symbolizes the Dutch glory of yesteryear. Germany has traditionally been the most important buyer, but that trade relationship shows cracks. Our neighbors are increasingly opting for cheaper cheese from Poland, concludes research agency Annual Insight.

The Netherlands and Germany are the largest producers of Gouda cheese and also each other's most important trading partners. Cheese production in our country is still growing. In 2018, the Netherlands produced 879.000 tons, which represents a growth of 4,4% since 2015.

Poland gains market share in Germany
However, Germany, by far the most important buyer, imports less and less Dutch cheese. Since 2015, imports have fallen by 8,3% to over 90.000 tons in 2018. This was good for an export value of €394 million. The total German cheese import, on the other hand, is still on the rise. However, German importers are increasingly opting for the cheaper cheese from Eastern Europe. Poland in particular is gaining market share; since 2015, cheese exports have grown by no less than 354%.

AnnualInsight signals that the export of Polish Gouda to almost every European country is growing. Compared to 2015, total exports have grown by approximately 60% to 19.000 tons. Compared to the Dutch volume, Poland is still a small player, but the growth percentages are certainly impressive. This makes Poland a player in the cheese market that should not be underestimated in the future.

This is confirmed by the fact that cheese production in Poland is picking up strongly. It has grown by 2015% since 60 to almost 230.000 tons in 2018. It is said that this growth is mainly achieved under our own steam. The milk production in Poland has shown a clear upward trend for years. In 2018, the milk supply to the dairies amounted to 11,9 million tons. This makes Poland (after the Netherlands) the fifth largest milk producer in Europe.

Growth in Japan
It is not the case that Dutch cheese does not find other markets. After Germany, Belgium and Japan are the most important buyers and these countries have been importing more in recent years; especially Japan is a growth market† Since 2015, sales have increased by more than 40% to just under 30.000 tons. Imports are expected to continue to increase in the coming years, partly thanks to the trade agreement with the European Union that came into effect this year. Sales to Spain and Mexico are also picking up.

Although Dutch cheeses are achieving growth figures in many countries, the shrinking sales in Germany are worrying. In addition, Polish cheese exports are making good progress, while German production continues to pick up. These countries often compete with the Netherlands on the same sales markets and usually have a lower cost price. Annual Insight wonders to what extent the Netherlands can cope with this competition in the future, if it is only settled on cost price.  

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Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is Head of Meat & Dairy at BoerenbusinessAt DCA Market Intelligence, he focuses on dairy, pork, and meat markets. He also monitors (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.
Comments
10 comments
Ton Westgeest 8 August 2019
This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url=http://www.boerenbusiness.nl/melk/ artikel/10883576/nederlandse-kaasexport-aftroefd-door-polen]Dutch cheese export trumped by Poland[/url]
We're going to lose it on all fronts.....Get used to it! And not just with cheese!

They conclude a trade agreement with South America.....where 130 pesticides are used that are no longer allowed here! Meat is treated with hormones. Chickens and pigs that are simply fed with antibiotics through the feed and are fed genetically modified feed.

The rules that we are being imposed here by an incompetent government, who are listening to every activist interest group subsidized by taxpayers' money.

A government that has made such a mess that they now want to stick a nose to a pug as a diversion...

A government with a total lack of vision and leadership, which does not only have a disastrous approach to agriculture, but to health care, education, climate, justice, energy, etc.

After three cabinets of Rutte, who himself admits to have no vision at all, we are well on our way to losing it on all fronts.......

And yes, I also don't know who should pull the cart, the last one who could have led, we let go by a dropl*l who is now walking around free again with a big benefit!!!
Joep 8 August 2019
EU funds are also raised by us
our farmers compete with EU countries that
have an affinity with their farmers and these
therefore generously support with our money earned through hard work.
Nowhere in the EU is the tax burden and regulations as high as in
our country (thanks to 3 cabinets Rutte
Subscriber
Skirt 9 August 2019
The problem with NL is that the ratio doers/thinkers is stored the wrong way, this process now seems to become irreversible because it reinforces itself.
The thinkers will eventually get stuck in a kind of dreamland state and completely lose all understanding of reality. Import of products will therefore take an increasing flight.
Ton Westgeest 9 August 2019
This process Kjol you are referring to is only possible due to the total lack of government leadership and direction. Then you get that everyone starts shouting.
Then you get that the biggest idiot is being listened to, who also gets a much too big stage by NPO and all other left-wing media.
That works like brainwashing, especially for the vast majority of the naive part of the population, who are only concerned with where to go on holiday.
Subscriber
Skirt 9 August 2019
The thinkers communicate on a different frequency than the doers, in the schools the frequency of the thinkers is stamped in, so the doers start to feel more and more alien in NL, unfortunately they can't do anything about it, this is government policy.
In my opinion, emigrating is the only solution if you want to have a future as a free farmer/entrepreneur.
kees 9 August 2019
Not that I would want to emigrate Kjol, not yet, but with your vision on the relationship between doers and thinkers you do get to the heart of the story.
Peter 9 August 2019
The revenue model of the western economy has come to an end. The new revenue model must become climate, but if this does not work, the food will have to become cheaper, otherwise there will be a civil war because the citizens can no longer afford expensive, healthy (meat) western food. . Then give them junk to eat, they don't take it so seriously with health, etc. For the elite politics, the ordinary citizens are rats or the politicians eat quality and the ordinary citizen gets cheap junk to eat, everyone is happy and there is no citizen revolt, ,,,,!!!
Skirt 10 August 2019
The revenue model in the EU is having a hard time, the rest of the world is doing quite well in itself. There is a lot of innovation outside the EU, but large-scale innovation and upscaling does not get off the ground here for many different reasons. Think of it as a badly tuned engine, you can throw in as much fuel (money) as you want, it will never run well.
Ton Westgeest 10 August 2019
I keep saying it anyway...... Kjol. The government is doing this itself! Outside the EU they indicate a direction and that is what everyone is working towards. Look at the Russians or the Chinese!

Here, what is still walking a bit, they torpedo with rules and it has to be on paper. With their unparalleled ruthlessness they destroy everything.

Look at the road transport to Code 95, What good could they use that older driver! Don't feel like it anymore and now they are thousands of drivers short!
Look at the health care five minute rule, that didn't go down fast enough so now they're starting to undervalue MBO at HBO.
Look at education, the 'poldering' has also taken away the meaning of the teachers there, by letting them have a meeting about all the nonsense.
Look at the tax .... they let the good ones leave there with a big premium, now they are still sitting there with a bunch of acorns a la Wiebes!
Look at the farmers, I probably don't need to say anything about the mink farmers..... About the battery cages that went to the Ukraine because that was not tolerated here, but the eggs just come this way, that's allowed!
Look at the climate tables, how well we saved the climate there! Various have filled their pockets with it for the future. Nijpels quickly sold his expensive farmhouse in Friesland, because he saw that there was much more to earn in the west in the future. FILL POCKETS!!!!
Look at the Police, most of them also stay put for their retirement, our time must be enough! It's becoming a drama everywhere.

And so you can name a whole range of things. You can call them thinkers and doers. Then talk about morons and doers! They really can't think!
On all sides you just see that things go wrong, and you can call it a badly tuned engine, in any case they sprinkle sand in it on all sides.
There's no one you talk to these days who feels like it, that's the essence of the story. That works against innovation....

Upscaling has always been here after the war and large-scale upscaling is no longer waiting for anyone in that small country!

We sit on the sidelines, can't do anything about it.....just wait for it to proliferate, this senseless poldering.
And until the shore turns the ship!

Skirt 12 August 2019
The whole EU idea has become a kind of Kolkhoz, no one is really making an effort anymore, and everyone is hiding behind someone else. I am indeed of the opinion that the EU does not work in this way, in addition, the Netherlands is simply stuck with too many talkers.
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