Where are the farmers with 100 acre?

In 2017, the Netherlands had 2.679 farmers with more than 100 acre. This is according to figures from Statistics Netherlands. But which municipality has the most farmers with more than 100 acre? 

In 2016, the municipality of Oldambt (Groningen) was the place with the most farmers with 100 acre or more. In that year that number came to 72 farmers. What about in 2017, and who else is in the top 5?

Top 5
The municipality of Oldambt is again at the top of the list of most farmers with 100 acre or more. The list shows that the number of farmers with more than 100 acre has again increased in this municipality. The number in 2017 amounts to 74 farmers (+2 farmers compared to 2016).

The increase that the Noordoostpolder (Flevoland) has made is striking. This municipality was always far behind the municipality of Oldambt, but increased between 2016 and 2017 with 8 farmers who have more than 100 acre. This brings the total number of farmers with more than 100 bunder to 73, only 1 less than the municipality of Oldambt. Will this municipality surpass the Groningen municipality next year?

The municipality of Emmen (Drenthe) is stable in third place. In 2016, this municipality had 64 farmers with more than 100 acre. That number increased in 2017 to 66 farmers with more than 100 acre (+2 companies). This municipality has been registering around this level for years, because in 2015 the number was 63.

The fourth place in this top 5 is for the municipality of Midden-Drenthe (Drenthe). In this municipality, the number of farmers with more than 100 acre in 2017 was 61. In 2016 that number was 58 and in 2015 there were 58 farmers with more than 100 acre. That number was able to increase last year.

The last place in this top 5 is for Hollands Kroon (North Holland). Here the number of farmers with 100 acre or more came to 52 farmers. In 2015, that number was 55 and in 2016 this number fell to 53. This means that a downward trend has started.

Bottom of the list
In 84 municipalities there are no farmers with at least 100 acre. Vught (North Brabant), Waalre (North Brabant), Schiedam (South Holland) and Papendrecht (South Holland) are examples of this. In 59 municipalities there is 1 farmer with 100 acre or more; This is the case in Hengelo (Overijssel), Aalten (Gelderland) and Nijmegen (Gelderland), for example.

There are 127 to 2 farmers with 5 acre or more in 100 Dutch municipalities. These include Losser (Overijssel), Langedijk (North Holland), Utrecht (Utrecht) and Westvoorne (South Holland). Then there are 78 municipalities where the number of farmers with 100 acre or more is between 6 and 20; for example in Pekela (Groningen), Hoogeveen (Drenthe) and Brummen (Gelderland).

In 'only' 19 municipalities, the number of farmers with 100 acre or more exceeds 30. This naturally concerns the top 5, but also municipalities such as Sluis (Zeeland), Goeree-Overflakkee (South Holland) and Zeewolde (Flevoland).

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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