Table 1. Average trend of fruit crops in the Netherlands. 



Fruit Year 2. 



crop 1950 1960 1970^ 1974*^ 



Apple 101,530 88,998 65,410 54,770 



Pear 36,328 27,083 20,888 17,785 



Plum 13,408 6,005 3,410 2,770 



Cherry 12,973 8,433 4,638 3,313 



Strawberry 8,958 12,208 6,728 6,083 



Raspberry 2,438 3,298 985 638 



Red currant 4,480 3,935 1,235 710 



Black currant 4,100 3,595 405 160 



Source: Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics. 

 ^Reporting of small holdings discontinued but total acreage involved 

 is small. 



Table 2. Number of tree fruit holdings and acreage by size in 1969. 



Orchard size 



(acres) No. of holdings No. of acres 



12.5 - 15 626 8,358 



15 - 17.5 510 8,085 



17.5 - 20 372 6,815 



20 - 22.5 269 5,598 



22.5 - 25 199 4,658 



25 - 37.5 426 14,148 



37.5 - 50 127 5,400 



50 or more 99 7,385 



2,628 60,447 



■'-Source: Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics. 



The number of holdings greater than 12.5 acres increased dur- 

 ing the 1960's but probably are on the decrease now. Basically, 

 there are 4 reasons for the decreasing acreage and size of holdings 

 in tree fruit: the Eurpoean Economic Community (EEC), increased 

 production in other European countries, rising costs, and intensi- 

 fication. 



The EEC's Common Agricultural Policy established in 1967, elim- 

 inated the trade barriers for apples and pears within the Community. 

 As a result, the Dutch apple and pear market became exposed to the 

 EEC's oversupply caused by extensive plantings during the 1960 's of 

 apples in France and pears in Italy. The problem of oversupply is 

 further intensified by the "bumper" crop years in Germany, the prin- 

 cipal market for Dutch apples. The "bumper" crops are primarily 

 due to the biennial nature of numerous small holdings of obsolete 



