The Netherlands exported 4.6 billion kilos of fresh vegetables worth 4.2 billion euros last year, making it the world’s biggest exporter for a fourth year in a row.

Mexico, the world’s second largest exporter, closed in on Holland, according to the national horticultural board. Measured in kilos, Dutch vegetable exports grew by seven percent whereas Mexico’s export jumped by 15 percent. Holland’s margin consequently dropped from 543 million kilos in 2009 to 269 million kilos in 2010.

Last year, Holland exported 1.4 billion kilos of onions and 0.9 billion kilos of tomatoes. Other vegetables that did well abroad were peppers and cucumbers.

In 2010, global vegetable exports grew to 32.3 billion kilos, a six percent increase on the preceding year. After the Netherlands and Mexico, the world’s leading vegetable exporting countries are Spain, China and the United States.

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