Exports of fruit and vegetables from the Netherlands remain down on the past year, with the country shipping a total of 746,000 tonnes (excluding onions) during the period January to May, 13 per cent less than in the year-earlier period.
However, compared with a 25 per cent downturn in export volumes during the first quarter of the year, the new figures – published by industry association Productschap Tuinbouw – offer some cause for optimism that Dutch fresh produce exports are recovering from a difficult start to 2009.
According to the latest report, fruit and vegetable exports have picked up momentum following a later start to the season for a number of key products.
Sendings to Germany, the Netherlands' largest export market, have also improved and are now down only 7 per cent year-on-year at 306,000 tonnes compared with a 13 per cent shortfall in January to May of last year.
In particular, Brussels sprouts and aubergines from Holland have reportedly performed well in the German market, while sales to Russia are also understood to have picked up in the past couple of months, up 6 per cent compared with the year-earlier period.
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