Where did the cultivation of grain maize fall the fastest?

In the Netherlands, the harvested area of ​​grain maize in 2017 amounted to 8.671 hectares, compared to 2010 hectares in 16.732. This is according to figures from Statistics Netherlands. But where did the harvested area of ​​grain maize fall the most, and where did the gross yield per hectare fall?

The program cultivated area was also many times higher in 2010, namely 17.062 hectares, compared to 2017 hectares in 8.689. In which province were the largest declines visible?

Where has the harvested area fallen the most?
North Brabant is at the top of the list. The cultivated area of ​​grain maize here in 2010 amounted to 6.044 hectares. Ultimately, the entire cultivated area could be harvested. In 2017, the cultivated area was lower (2.494 hectares). Of this, 2.492 hectares were harvested, which means that 2 hectares could not be harvested. This province shows a decrease of 7 hectares of grain maize in the harvested area over the past 3.552 years.

The second place is for Limburg. The cultivated area of ​​grain maize here in 2010 amounted to 5.015 hectares. Here too, the entire area could be harvested. In 2017, the cultivated area was lower (3.076 hectares), but it is higher than in North Brabant. Of those 3.076 hectares, 3.068 hectares were harvested, which means that 8 hectares could not be harvested. This province has shown a decrease of 7 hectares of grain maize over the past 1.947 years.

The bronze medal goes to Gelderland. The cultivated area of ​​grain maize here in 2010 amounted to 2.570 hectares. 2.240 hectares of grain maize were harvested in this province. In 2017, the cultivated area amounted to 1.199 hectares, of which 1.194 hectares were ultimately harvested. These numbers are therefore considerably lower than 7 years earlier and this means that 5 hectares could not be harvested. Between 2010 and 2017, the harvested area of ​​grain maize decreased by 1.046 hectares.

Drenthe ends up in fourth place. In this province, the cultivated area in 2010 amounted to 1.161 hectares. Here too, the total acreage could be harvested. In 2017, the cultivated area amounted to 607 hectares, of which 607 hectares were ultimately harvested. In the past 7 years, the harvested area of ​​grain maize decreased by 554 hectares.

The fifth place is for Overijssel. The cultivated area of ​​grain maize here in 2010 amounted to 910 hectares. Here too, the total area could be harvested (910 hectares). In 2017, the cultivated area only amounted to 425 hectares, of which 422 hectares could ultimately be harvested. Over the past 7 years, the harvested area of ​​grain maize in this province decreased by 488 hectares.

Where was the total yield many times lower?
North Brabant is head and shoulders at the top of this list. Earlier it appeared that the harvested area has decreased by 3.500, but the total gross yield also shows a decrease. In 2010, a gross yield of 71.418 tons was achieved in this province, but in 2017 that fell to 34.307 hectares. This is therefore a decrease of no less than 37.111 tons.

The second place is for Limburg, where the total gross yield in 2010 amounted to 62.162 tons. This number has fallen to 7 tons in 41.800 years, a decrease of 20.362 tons. The third place is for Gelderland. Here the total gross yield for 2010 amounted to 25.551 hectares, compared to 2017 tons in 16.849. The total gross yield here therefore decreased by 7 tons in the past 8.702 years.

The fourth place is for Drenthe. In this province, the total gross yield in 2011 amounted to 13.352 tons, where in 2017 this fell to 7.007 tons. This concerns a decrease of 6.345 tons of grain maize. The fifth place is for Overijssel, where the total gross yield for 2011 amounted to 9.037 tons. In 2017, that fell to a gross yield of 5.662 tons, a decrease of 3.375 tons.

What about the gross yields per hectare?
If we only look at the gross yields per hectare, we see that Utrecht shows the largest decrease. The yield per hectare in this province still amounted to 2011 tons per hectare in 13,2, where it fell to 2017 tons per hectare in 12,6. So it means a decrease of 0,6 tons per hectare.

The second place is for South Holland, where the gross yield per hectare in 2011 amounted to 12,7 tons. That number fell to 2017 tons per hectare in 12,6, a decrease of 0,1 tons per hectare. Third place is for Drenthe. In this province there is no decrease, but the gross yield per hectare remained the same at 11,5 tons per hectare.

The fourth place is for Groningen, where the gross yield per hectare in 2011 amounted to 11,2. That increased to 2017 tons per hectare in 11,5, an increase of 0,3 tons per hectare. Fifth place is for Friesland, where the gross yield per hectare in 2011 amounted to 10,7 tons per hectare. That number rose to 7 tons per hectare in 11,5 years, an increase of 0,8 tons per hectare.

The largest increase is for Flevoland, which in 2011 still had a gross yield per hectare of 8,8 tons per hectare. That number rose to 7 tons per hectare in 13,8 years, an increase of no less than 5 tons per hectare.

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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