symbolic picture

Netherlands is one such country in the world which is smaller in terms of area than many states of India including Bihar, Haryana. But, it is growing such vegetables in its limited land which is making it rich. Netherlands is the second largest food exporter in the world.

After America, Netherlands is the second-largest agricultural exporter in the world. This country cultivates everything from eggs and beef to tomatoes and capsicum. In the year 2024, the value of its agricultural products was more than 140 billion dollars, which was approximately Rs 11.6 lakh crore. However, in the same year the value of America’s agricultural exports was approximately $176 billion. Was equal to Rs 14.6 lakh crore.

Gives competition to US

If we pay attention to the fact that there is a lot of difference between America and Netherlands in terms of area and population. America is spread over approximately 98 lakh square kilometers. Whereas, Netherlands is spread over 41,865 square kilometers. Also, according to the World Bank, the population of America is 34.01 crores (2024). At the same time, the population of Netherlands is only 1.8 crores (2024). Despite this, the Netherlands is the world’s largest agricultural exporter after America.

How are you doing amazing?

Let us now understand the answer to this question that despite having less land, how is Netherlands able to grow so many vegetables and other things. The answer is the use of technology. Greenhouse based farming is done on a large scale in the Netherlands. Advanced agricultural techniques (hydroponics, climate control, seed varieties) are used.

Wageningen University and Research (WUR) is at the center of this revolution — where scientists and farmers have created a global model for producing more with less land, less water and fewer pesticides.

1. Crops are grown in greenhouses.
2. In these modern greenhouses, very little water and fertilizers are used.
3. The same amount of crops grown in one acre as is grown in 10 acres in traditional farming.
4. For example, Dutch farmers use only half a gallon (about 2 liters) of water to grow 1 pound of tomatoes, while the world average is 28 gallons (more than 100 liters).
5. More than half of the land in the Netherlands is used for farming. Today, the greenhouses of the Netherlands produce about 1 million tonnes of tomatoes every year and their exports are worth more than $2 billion (about ₹16,700 crore).
6. Tomatoes are cultivated throughout the year in greenhouses.

what are the challenges

On one hand, Netherlands is doing wonders by using technology in farming. On the other hand, it also faces many challenges.

1. Rising energy costs — Greenhouses require a lot of electricity and heat to run.
2. Shortage of workers – It is becoming difficult to get trained laborers in modern farming.
3. nitrogen pollution crisis

At the forefront of growing vegetables

According to the Washington Post, each year the country raises 4 million cows, 13 million pigs and 104 million chickens — making it Europe’s largest meat exporter. Apart from this, Netherlands also supplies vegetables in large quantities to the countries of Western Europe. He does farming on about 24,000 acres of land.

Today, their role in the global food industry is so important that 15 of the world’s top 20 food companies (e.g. Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Cargill, Kraft Heinz) have their R&D centers in the Netherlands.

Seed production of the Netherlands

Netherlands is ahead not only in growing vegetables and flowers but also in seed production. There is an area in the northwest of the Netherlands called “Seed Valley” — where new varieties of vegetables and flowers are developed every year. This is the place from where new varieties of seeds come out for farmers all over the world.

Farming with LED lights

Another Netherlands-based company, PlantLab, is developing technology that creates custom-built indoor farms — plant production units that grow plants in a completely controlled environment.

1. This company grows plants with artificial LED lights instead of sunlight.
2. With this, the speed, size, nutrients and production of each plant can be controlled.
3. He claims that he can grow half a pound of fresh vegetables for 1 lakh people every day in a space equal to two football fields.

This shows that the Netherlands has removed farming from traditional labor and has used science and technology in it. Where the use of every plant, every light, every drop is completely controlled.

Most focus on onion-tomato

The Netherlands exports the most flowers, plants, fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products. Onions and tomatoes are its biggest export items. Its main customer countries are: Germany, Belgium, France and Britain. In the last 30 years, it has tripled its expenditure on agricultural research (R&D), so that more crops can be grown with less water, less energy and without pesticides. Today the greenhouses there are almost completely pesticide-free.

Being in the middle of Europe, Netherlands is also a big business and logistics centre. Goods from countries like America and China are sent to Europe from Rotterdam port. One out of every five fruits or vegetables arriving in Europe passes through a port in the Netherlands.