The rapidly growing gas prices caused new problems in Europe and hit the yield of the largest network of Dutch greenhouses on the continent. According to Bloomberg, the key supplier of fresh vegetables and fruits is forced to save on power supply, which strongly depends on the gas.
The Square of the Netherlands The Netherlands is ten thousand hectares, which is approximately equal to the size of Paris. The country is grown by vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, as well as flowers – chrysanthemums, tulips and orchids. In 2020, Dutch exports of products amounted to 9.2 billion euros (10.7 billion dollars), which makes the state second largest exporter of products to Europe and a huge center of trafficking in colors.
For heating the greenhouses, up to three billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, which is about 8.2 percent of the total fuel consumption in the country. Senior analyst Rabobank Cindy Van Risvik said that the global energy crisis and gas deficit has a huge impact on the sector: forces enterprises to reduce greenhouse lighting, reduce the growing period and transfer plans for the start of production in the spring of next year. “We cannot exclude that consumers will pay more for their vegetables, flowers and fruits,” said the industry Association Glastuinbouw Nederland. Marseille van der Lugt from the flower company Lugt Lisianthus also agrees with this opinion. According to him, prices will grow, since electricity bills increased by 20-25 percent.
Electricity saving measures reduce production and yield, and also carry serious economic consequences for companies. The energy crisis has already hit the food industry, affecting the cost of fertilizers. The lack of fruits and vegetables can accelerate the rise in food prices, while inflation in Europe is already at the level of the ten-year maximum. The crop of grain suffered due to bad weather, the cost of transportation services increased due to locked, and labor deficit continues to interfere with the restoration of the economy.