Tulips from Amsterdam, anyone? The area utilised to grow and cultivate flower bulbs in the Netherlands has risen by 16% in the past ten years, to more than 27,000 hectares, new data from Statistics Netherlands has found.
However, in 2024, the total area used for this purpose declined slightly, year-on-year, dropping by 3% compared to 2023.
The area designated to tulip cultivation accounts for more than half the total available cultivation area, totalling 14,000 hectares as of last year, which is a 29% increase on 2014. However, here too, a year-on-year decline (of 2%) was reported.
The second-most cultivated plant is lily, which accounts for 21% of the total land used for flower bulb cultivation, of 5,900 hectares. The area used for lily cultivation decreased by 6% between 2023 and 2024, however it saw an increase of 12% between 2014 and 2024.
Some 1,600 farms were engaged in flower bulb cultivation in the Netherlands as of 2024, an 8% increase on 2014.
Tulip farming
Tulip farming is the most common occupation, with 56% of flower farms growing tulips, while the proportion of farms cultivating lilies remained relatively stable, at 24%. The number of farms producing daffodils fell from 20% in 2014 to 12% in 2024.
On a regional basis, the core areas used for flower bulb cultivation were Westelijk Holland and the IJsselmeerpolders, which accounted for 35% and 34%, respectively, of the total land used for this purpose.
The land used for growing tulips mainly concentrated in the IJsselmeerpolders, where nearly half of the country’s tulip crops were cultivated, while Westelijk Holland was the main production area for daffodils, hyacinths, and dahlias, Statistics Netherlands said. Read more here.
