Early July, Dutch acreage figures for 2024 were presented. They turned out to be quite predictable. Less winter cereals, slightly more potatoes, and especially a significant increase in onions. Regionally, the shifts are as expected. The province of Groningen is becoming the onion paradise and for ware potatoes, you should head to North-Brabant. A notable development is the strong increase in silage maize this season.
Every year, Boer&Bunder.nl publishes the acreage figures at provincial and municipal levels, based on the BRP boundaries. These are the plots as drawn by agricultural entrepreneurs and submitted for the CAP. Normally, this provides a very reliable basis. This year, there are doubts because plots are sometimes partially or not at all sown or planted with the crop planned for this spring. However, at the national level, these are minor deviations as they represent extremes.
Groningen the onion paradise
The shift from fewer seed onions in the 'traditional' cultivation areas to more in the 'new' areas continues in 2024. Percentage-wise, Drenthe accounts for the largest increase in acreage. In absolute numbers, Groningen is the biggest riser. The acreage there has increased by over 1,000 hectares. This represents a quarter more onions: from 3,866 to 4,887 hectares. In Drenthe, it is 889 hectares, increasing the acreage to 3,531 hectares.
Noord-Brabant should also not be forgotten when talking about seed onions. Especially Middle and East Brabant are emerging cultivation areas. This year, the province reaches 4,219 hectares. An increase of 589 hectares or 16%. After Flevoland and Groningen, the province ranks third, followed by Drenthe.
Significant increase in onion sets in Zeeland
Zeeland just makes it to the top five, with an acreage of 2,622 hectares. A decrease of 454 hectares (-14.75%). However, the province is growing again in onion sets. There is even a quarter more planted, which may be due to the fact that onions could not be sown everywhere. With an area of 3,127 hectares, Zeeland has by far the most planting onions. North Brabant follows with 1,903 hectares. The cultivation there increases by 236 hectares. South Holland, the third-ranked, rises very slightly.
With over 19,000 hectares of ware potatoes, Noord-Brabant is absolutely the largest producer in our country for this crop. The cultivation has increased this year by 276 hectares. Representing a 1.5% expansion. In Zeeland - the second-ranked - this is relatively significant with 772 hectares. The acreage there reaches 15,620 hectares, the largest since 2011. While the onion cultivation keeps decreasing due to disappointing harvests and high risks, this does not seem to be the case with ware potatoes, despite not always being easy in the coastal province.
Decrease in starch potatoes
Groningen shows a similar increase with an additional 678 hectares of ware potatoes. Not shocking per se, but it does indicate that farmers here are opting for higher-yielding crops. The seed potato acreage is decreasing there by 360 hectares. Elsewhere, it remains stable to slightly decreasing. In Drenthe, Overijssel, and Gelderland, growth in ware acreage is not visible. The cultivation there grows between 90 and 120 hectares. The idea that more land becomes available to livestock farmers and is fully planted with potatoes is therefore not substantiated. This could be more likely for seed onions. However, the likelihood is higher that the space for ware potatoes and seed onions comes from the starch potato acreage. In Drenthe, the cultivation decreases this year by almost 7%, to 19,690 hectares. This is a reduction of 1,300 hectares. In Groningen, this decline is 853 hectares, or 6%.
The decrease in dairy farming is visible in Noord-Brabant. There, the grassland area decreases by 1,667 hectares to 95,472 hectares. In East Netherlands, the grassland area decreases by several hundred hectares per province.
More silage maize
A sharp increase in maize cultivation for silage is remarkable. A total of 209,000 hectares of silage and grain maize were planted this year. Last year, it was 196,965 hectares. This represents a 6.11% increase. A growth of 12,000 hectares.
The reasons for this must be sought in various factors. Firstly, the fact that spring 2024 was extremely late, making maize sometimes the only option. Secondly, grain prices have normalized, and farmers may be opting for maize more frequently. Additionally, due to the wet autumn and spring, it was not always possible to sow grain. In Brabant, farmers have sown an extra 2,400 hectares of maize. Not surprising, as this crop is often used as 'crop plan filler'. In Gelderland, over 1,900 hectares of maize were sown, and in Drenthe, 1,050 hectares.
Decline in wheat acreage
CBS has calculated that the acreage of winter wheat has decreased significantly. Especially in Zeeland and Groningen, arable farmers have sown less due to the wet autumn. This represents a decrease of 27.5% and 36.5% in acreage. Nowhere else is this decline in absolute figures as significant. Percentage-wise, Drenthe (75%), Noord-Brabant (50%), Friesland (45%), and Limburg (39%) are declining even more, but the area is slightly smaller. Nevertheless, there are thousands of hectares less winter wheat per province.
Spring wheat and barley have somewhat compensated for these declines, but not entirely. Especially in Groningen, spring wheat has been sown. This represents a 186% increase, reaching 3,000 hectares. The area of spring barley has increased by 50% there. A total of almost 3,000 hectares.
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