Fewer Dutch bulb growers, but their farms are getting bigger

Tourists photographing tulip fields. Photo: DutchNews.nl

The number of companies active in the Netherlands’ vast flower bulb sector has declined by 40% to about 1,600 since 2000, the national statistics office CBS reported on Friday.

At the same time, the average size of a bulb farm has doubled to 16 hectares, the CBS said, citing definitive agriculture ministry figures.

The flower bulb fields have increased in size by 16% to more than 26,000 hectares since 2000. The total area grew by about 5% between 2015 and 2016 alone, the CBS said.

Most of the increase was in tulip bulb fields which are now 36% bigger than in 2000 and account for more than half the total bulb field area. There was less impressive growth in lilies (+30%) and hyacinths (+20%) while land for growing gladiolas shrank by 43%.

Most bulbs are grown in the sandy soils of Noord-Holland but Drenthe, Flevoland and Overijssel are doing their best to catch up. The Netherlands exports some two million bulbs a year

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation