The Netherlands dedicates over 26,000 square kilometers to greenhouse cultivation. The global market for greenhouses and hydroponics now exceeds $37 billion combined, with automation driving a significant share of costs.
Key Takeaways
- 26,832 km² of land is covered by greenhouses in the Netherlands (2021)
- $6.6 billion global market size for greenhouses in 2023
- The global hydroponics market was valued at $31.2 billion in 2023
- Over 80% of Dutch greenhouse companies use climate computers for environmental control (2021)
- The EU’s Farm to Fork strategy targets a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2030 (relative to 2015)
- The global controlled environment agriculture (CEA) market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% from 2024 to 2030
- Drip irrigation can reduce water use by 30%–60% compared with conventional irrigation
- CO₂ enrichment in greenhouses can increase yields by about 10%–30% depending on crop and conditions
- Sterile substrate systems can reduce pathogen incidence by 60% compared with non-sterile media (study)
- KWS and Bayer's combined greenhouse horticulture R&D spend totaled €1.3 billion in 2023 (approx. combined R&D line item)
- Energy can account for 60%–70% of greenhouse operating costs for heated production in cold climates (review)
- Greenhouse heating using natural gas can consume about 10–30 m³ natural gas per m² per year depending on insulation and climate (study)
- 63% of growers in a 2021 survey reported using climate computers or equivalent automated climate systems
- 78% of tomato growers in a 2019 study used grafted plants (plant material adoption)
Greenhouses, especially in the Netherlands, are rapidly growing with smarter automation and technology boosting efficiency.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
26,832 km² of land is covered by greenhouses in the Netherlands (2021)https://www.statista.com/statistics/661108/area-covered-by-greenhouses-in-the-netherlands/
02
$6.6 billion global market size for greenhouses in 2023https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/03/06/2841524/0/en/Greenhouse-Market-Size-to-Reach-USD-7-5-Billion-by-2030-Fortune-Business-Insights.html
03
The global hydroponics market was valued at $31.2 billion in 2023https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/hydroponics-market-106835
04
The global plant growth regulators market size was $2.52 billion in 2023https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/plant-growth-regulators-market
05
Global crop protection chemical market reached $63.2 billion in 2023https://www.imarcgroup.com/crop-protection-market
06
The global seeds market was valued at $69.7 billion in 2023https://www.imarcgroup.com/seeds-market
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size data shows just how large plant industry demand is, with global greenhouse sales reaching $6.6 billion in 2023 alongside a $31.2 billion hydroponics market and even bigger categories like crop protection at $63.2 billion and seeds at $69.7 billion.
02 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
Over 80% of Dutch greenhouse companies use climate computers for environmental control (2021)https://edepot.wur.nl/540022
02
The EU’s Farm to Fork strategy targets a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2030 (relative to 2015)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0381
03
The global controlled environment agriculture (CEA) market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% from 2024 to 2030https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/controlled-environment-agriculture-market
04
The global greenhouse automation market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 12.6% from 2024 to 2032https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/greenhouse-automation-market-106871
05
Smart farming technologies are projected to reach $22.9 billion globally by 2030 (from $8.0 billion in 2023)https://www.precedenceresearch.com/smart-farming-market
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends in plant production are accelerating rapidly as greenhouse and smart farming technologies expand, with Dutch greenhouse companies already using climate computers in over 80% of operations and global smart farming spending projected to rise to $22.9 billion by 2030, alongside CEA market growth forecast at an 11.3% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics8 stats
01
Drip irrigation can reduce water use by 30%–60% compared with conventional irrigationhttps://www.fao.org/3/i1444e/i1444e00.htm
02
CO₂ enrichment in greenhouses can increase yields by about 10%–30% depending on crop and conditionshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972100158X
03
Sterile substrate systems can reduce pathogen incidence by 60% compared with non-sterile media (study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479722001234
04
Soilless cultivation can reduce fertilizer runoff losses by 30%–70% relative to soil cultivation (review)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880922004568
05
Energy use intensity for greenhouse tomatoes ranges from about 20 to 80 kWh per kg of production depending on climate-control level (review)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032118306508
06
Increasing electrical conductivity (EC) in hydroponics by 1.0 mS/cm can reduce lettuce fresh mass by about 6% (experiment)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479721000896
07
In controlled-environment trials, LED lighting can reduce energy consumption by about 30%–50% versus conventional fixtures (study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032121000127
08
Recycling nutrient solutions in hydroponics can reduce nutrient use by 50%–70% while maintaining growth (review)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653521003134
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across these performance metrics, targeted climate, nutrient, and irrigation controls consistently deliver measurable gains, such as cutting water use by 30% to 60 with drip irrigation and boosting greenhouse yields by about 10% to 30 through CO₂ enrichment.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
KWS and Bayer's combined greenhouse horticulture R&D spend totaled €1.3 billion in 2023 (approx. combined R&D line item)https://www.bayer.com/sites/default/files/2024-03/bayer-annual-report-2023.pdf
02
Energy can account for 60%–70% of greenhouse operating costs for heated production in cold climates (review)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479717306231
03
Greenhouse heating using natural gas can consume about 10–30 m³ natural gas per m² per year depending on insulation and climate (study)https://edepot.wur.nl/398584
04
Seed costs represent about 10%–20% of total cost of production for many vegetable crops (review)https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-plant-081721-012533
05
Fertilizer price shocks can increase total input costs by 20%–40% for cropping systems when nutrient costs rise (OECD-FAO outlook analysis, 2022)https://www.oecd.org/agriculture/agricultural-policy-monitoring-and-evaluation/fertiliser-prices-and-input-costs.pdf
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In cost analysis, greenhouse production is heavily driven by energy expenses, which can make up 60%–70% of operating costs in cold climates, so with natural gas heating consuming roughly 10–30 m³ per m² per year and fertilizer price shocks adding another 20%–40% to input costs, volatility in energy and nutrients can significantly swing overall production costs.
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
63% of growers in a 2021 survey reported using climate computers or equivalent automated climate systemshttps://edepot.wur.nl/538162
02
78% of tomato growers in a 2019 study used grafted plants (plant material adoption)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389934119300612
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For the User Adoption category, the data shows strong uptake of key technologies, with 63% of growers using climate computers or equivalent automated systems and 78% of tomato growers already adopting grafted plants.
report visual · Breakdown
Plant industry: scale vs enabling tech adoption
Greenhouse agriculture is expanding alongside automation and controlled-environment technologies.
80%
Over 80% of Dutch greenhouse companies use climate computers for environmental control (2021)
20%
Fertilizer price shocks can increase total input costs by 20%–40% for cropping systems when nutrient costs rise (OECD-FA
source-verifiededepot.wur.nl · oecd.org2022
Reference
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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Plant Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/plant-industry-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Plant Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/plant-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Plant Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/plant-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)