Worldwide, the Netherlands is the major exporter of plant reproduction material, representing an export value of 2.5 billion euro - a figure that is increasing annually. Dutch companies enjoy a position as the global market leaders in plant reproduction material for ornamentals, potatoes, flower bulbs, grasses, vegetable seed and tissue culture. The pioneering and knowledge intensive Dutch breeding companies supply high end expertise and knowledge and many new varieties and crops. The advantages offered by these new varieties benefit the entire production chain. New varieties are higher yielding, reduce the input required, result in reduced losses during processing and offer the end user a wider choice.
 
On an international level the sector has a dynamic profile. Companies increasing meet in existing and new markets. Strategic takeovers cause shifting patterns in the market position of companies. The Netherlands is no longer the automatic location of choice for companies to establish. The levels of knowledge play an ever greater role in determining the competitive position. New techniques such as genetic modification offer huge possibilities, but also demand heavy investments. In addition, they are also a subject of heated social debate.
 
The quality of plant reproduction material demands constant attention. Customers place increasingly higher demands on germinating power, emergence, seedability, health and uniformity of young plants. Plant breeding can contribute towards creating plants that are less susceptible to pests and diseases and require less energy to grow, or that contain higher vitamin contents and even antibodies. Thanks to extremely modern techniques and methods, Dutch companies can supply a reliable product that fully complies with all the required standards.

Role in international issues
International development also demands efforts by the plant breeding sector. The world is faced by the challenge of a growing population that has to be fed using a lower input of resources and a reduced burden on the environment on an ever diminishing surface area of land available for food production. Valuable agricultural land is constantly being lost as a result of erosion, salinification and urbanisation.
 
Plant breeding can help offer a solution by developing new cultivars. New varieties that are resistant to huge differences in growing conditions, such as drought and low levels of fertilisation, resistant to pests and diseases, and at the same time offer enough harvest reliability and high yields.