AgricultureID

Country agriculture profile · Europe & Central Asia

Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the world's most intensive and technologically advanced agricultural economies and, despite its small size, ranks among the largest agri-food exporters globally. Its strength lies in extremely high-value, knowledge-intensive systems: climate-controlled greenhouse horticulture, ornamental flowers and bulbs, seed potatoes, and a highly productive dairy sector, supported by a dense cluster of research, breeding and logistics expertise often called the 'Golden Triangle'. Farming operates within the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the sector faces intense pressure to cut nitrogen emissions and other environmental impacts from concentrated livestock and fertiliser use. Wageningen University & Research anchors an internationally influential agricultural innovation system.

Stable overview + dated statisticsUpdated: 2026-07-12

Farming systems (stable overview)

Climate zones

  • Temperate oceanic

Agroecological zones

  • Reclaimed polder and marine clay lowlands
  • Sandy soils of the east and south
  • Peat grasslands

Dominant crop systems

  • Intensive greenhouse horticulture (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers) under glass
  • Ornamental flowers, bulbs and nursery stock
  • Seed, ware and starch potatoes
  • Sugar beet and onions on fertile polder and clay soils
  • Cereals and forage within arable rotations

Major livestock systems

  • Intensive dairy cattle on managed grassland and maize silage
  • Large, export-oriented pig production
  • Intensive poultry for meat and eggs
  • Veal calf systems

Irrigation: In a wet maritime climate open-field irrigation is limited and water management centres on drainage and polders, while greenhouse systems use precise recirculating fertigation.

Latest verified data

Each value is the most recent available observation, shown with its own year and unit. Figures are periodically revised — treat them as dated, sourced statistics, not evergreen facts.

Latest available agricultural indicators, with year and unit
IndicatorValueUnitYear
Agricultural land53.55% of land area2023
Arable land29.97% of land area2023
Cereal yield6,805.7kg per hectare2024
Crop production index100.37index (2014–2016 = 100)2022
Livestock production index101.16index (2014–2016 = 100)2022
Fertilizer consumption238.02kg per hectare of arable land2023
Agriculture value added1.73% of GDP2024
Employment in agriculture(est.)1.75% of total employment2024

Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12

Commodity market data

5,287 official observations across 62 commodities. Figures are shown on each commodity page with the unit, status and release its source published.

Commodities with official market series for this country
CommodityMetrics recorded
AlmondsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
AvocadosExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
BananasExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Barley GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Black PeppercornsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Buckwheat GrainExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Cashew NutsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
ChickpeasExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Cocoa BeansExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Cotton LintBeginning stocks, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Export value, Import value
CottonseedExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
CowpeasExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
CucumbersArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
DatesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dried ChilliesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dried Tobacco LeafExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dry BeansIndex value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dry Bulb OnionsArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dry PeasIndex value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Flax FibreArea harvested, Production, Yield, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
FlaxseedArea harvested, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh ApplesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh BlueberriesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh OrangesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh PineapplesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh StrawberriesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh SweetcornExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh TomatoesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Green CoffeeExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
GroundnutsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
HazelnutsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Head CabbageArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Hemp FibreArea harvested, Production, Yield, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Hen EggsIndex value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Jute FibreExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
LentilsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Maize GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Milled RiceExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Millet GrainExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Oat GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Pigeon PeasExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
PistachiosExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
RapeseedArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Raw Cow MilkProduction, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Raw WoolIndex value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Rice PaddyExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Rye GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Safflower SeedExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Sesame SeedExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Sorghum GrainExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
SoybeansExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Sugar BeetArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
SugarcaneExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Sunflower SeedExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Sweet PotatoesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Tea LeafExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Triticale GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Vanilla BeansExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
WalnutsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Ware PotatoesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Wheat GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
YamsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value

How these figures are recorded

Cereal yield over time

201320192024
Netherlands — Cereal yield (kg per hectare). Bars start at zero.
Show data table
Netherlands — Cereal yield in kg per hectare by year
Yearkg per hectare
20138,630.1
20149,073.7
20158,752.8
20167,776.9
20178,794.5
20187,927.3
20198,676.6
20207,944.3
20217,850.7
20228,860
20238,079.5
20246,805.7

Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12

Derived indicator

Arable land as a share of agricultural land: 56 % of agricultural land (2023)

Derived value — formula arable-share-of-agricultural-land v1.0.0 (calc v1). Inputs: AG.LND.ARBL.ZS (30.0) ÷ AG.LND.AGRI.ZS (53.5). A derived ratio, not an observed statistic. Sensitive to rounding and to differing revision cycles of the two source series; omit rather than extrapolate when a common year is unavailable.

Documented crops & livestock

Agricultural institutions

  • Wageningen University & Research (WUR) — Leading agricultural and life-sciences university and research institute.
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature — Netherlands national ministry responsible for agriculture and food policy.

Agricultural authorities

Official public bodies verified against government sources. AgricultureID is independent and not affiliated with them.

  • Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en NatuurMinistry

    The Netherlands' national ministry for agriculture, fisheries, food security and nature.

All agricultural authorities

Data coverage & limitations

Covered by the World Bank WDI snapshots for land, production, yield, economy, inputs, and environment indicators.

What AgricultureID has indexed for Netherlands
LayerStatusWhat is held
Agricultural authoritiesCovered1 record
Official registriesCovered1 record
Compliance requirementsNot yet indexed—
Support programmesNot yet indexed—
Biosecurity listingsNot yet indexed—
Variety registrationsCovered14 records
Input authorisationsOfficial source not in a usable form—The Netherlands’ official pesticide register was found and read in a browser. It publishes its records through a search interface and offers no bulk file.
Extension resourcesNot yet indexed—
Market statisticsCovered359 records
Soil survey observationsNot yet indexed—
Border requirementsNot yet indexed—
Farm economics figuresCovered1,136 records
Climate, drought and water valuesCovered47 records

This page describes what AgricultureID has indexed, not what exists. A layer shown as not yet indexed means nobody has looked, and never that the thing is absent in that country. How coverage is worked out.

  • Statistics are dated, versioned and periodically revised; always read the year and dataset version rather than treating a figure as current.
  • National and EU statistical definitions (for example utilised agricultural area and livestock categories) differ from those of other countries, limiting direct cross-country comparison.
  • A large share of agri-food trade is re-exported or processed from imported inputs, so headline export standing overstates domestic primary production.
  • Nitrogen and environmental policy is reshaping livestock numbers, so recent figures may not reflect the current trajectory.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]World Bank Open Data — World Development Indicators (opens in a new tab)

    World Bank

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Agricultural statistics (WDI)

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]European Commission — Agriculture and rural development (opens in a new tab)

    European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture

    Authoritative

    Cited for: EU Common Agricultural Policy framework and farm statistics

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    European Union
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  3. [3]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Global agriculture and food production context

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12