Chainmail RZRijk Zwaan magazine for all chain partners | February 2016

Sweet Palermo®: ‘maintaining an excellent flavour’

KNOX transforms the lettuce landscape

On the rise: melons from Turkey

Contents

2 A Rijk Zwaan innovation transforms the lettuce landscape

4 Sweet Palermo®: versatile pointed pepper5 Manuel Galdeano, Spain: “Maintaining an excellent

flavour”

6 ‘Let’s snack 2.0’7 Tesco Poland ‘packs a punch’ with Silky Pink tomatoes

Organic production in USA benefits from Zeppo RZ beetroot

8 Salanova® in Brazil and Germany9 Hydroponic lettuce takes off in Peru

Australia embraces Endeavour RZ tomato

10 On the rise: melons from Turkey11 Northwestern Europe enjoys charentais12 Flexima RZ white cabbage in Russia

Ernteband processes Monty RZ beetroot

13 Italian turning point for endive14 Responding to consumers worldwideThe magazine Chainmail RZ is published in English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and German by Rijk Zwaan Distribution B.V. It is distributed to chain partners worldwide and has a circulation of 8,000.

Text and editorial team: Rijk Zwaan Photography: Rijk Zwaan, Tjipke MeijerLay-out: Drukkerij Van DeventerPrinting: Drukkerij Van DeventerReproduction stating source is allowed.

Chainmail RZ has been created with the utmost care. Nevertheless no liability can or will be accepted for any incorrect information.

Rijk Zwaan Distribution B.V.Burgemeester Crezéelaan 40P.O. Box 40, 2678 ZG De LierThe NetherlandsT +31 (0)174 53 23 00F +31 (0)174 53 21 63E chainmanagement@rijkzwaan.nlwww.rijkzwaan.com

Nothing beats the taste of fresh lettuce, and fresh-cut bagged lettuce has gained considerable ground in recent years. However, the pinking on the edges poses a tricky problem. In response to this, the breeders at Rijk Zwaan – who are continually working on innovations and improvements to existing products – set out in search of a nature-based solution. They developed a research methodology and tested the extent of discolouration in hundreds of lettuce heads. And then they had a breakthrough: the researchers found a plant with no discolouration even after three days.

Extensive laboratory and practical tests have confirmed this unique trait.

Crossing into varietiesIt appeared to be a recessive trait and breeders set to work to investigate its inheritance pattern. Once techniques such as genetic markers had provided certainty, it was time for the next step and the breeders initiated backcrossing into various lettuce types as quickly as possible. Finally, after a decade of continuous research and development, the breeders presented six varieties with the KNOX gene: cos, batavia, iceberg

KNOX is a trait in lettuce varieties which delays the discolouration process of leaves caused by oxidation. This presents numerous benefits, especially for processors and retailers. But the biggest winner is probably the end user; for the consumer, pre-packed bags of salad now stay fresher for longer.

transforms the lettuce landscape

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lettuce, butterhead, Salanova® Crispy and Salanova® Butter.

A bright future for lettuceKNOX was officially launched onto the market in September 2015 during the Rijk Zwaan Leafy Event, and the KNOX varieties were on display at the demo field in Fijnaart immediately afterwards. Visitors were very interested in the concept. All the enquiries from growers and processing companies are currently being evaluated so that widespread trials can start in 2016. Thanks to KNOX, the future of lettuce looks even brighter. Needless to say, the assortment of

varieties will gradually be extended over the coming years to eventually make a KNOX version available for every

favourite.

“KNOX extends shelf life of lettuce by two days”According to Bauke van Lenteren, Convenience Manager at Rijk Zwaan, KNOX responds to an important need among processors. “Thanks to KNOX, fresh-cut lettuce does not always need low-oxygen packaging. This reduces costs and gives processors more options when blending. Furthermore, it eliminates the unpleasant smell that is associated with opening low-oxygen packaging.”

Combining the benefits for the processing industry with the advantages for retailers – better inventory management and less waste – reveals the true scope of KNOX: a more sustainable chain in which this groundbreaking innovation will hopefully stimulate consumers to purchase and hence eat lettuce more frequently. “After all, the KNOX benefits ultimately create a better consumer experience too.”

transforms the lettuce landscape

delays pinking in fresh-cut lettuce

The trait KNOX is the result of 10 years of research and development at Rijk Zwaan.

‘Inside’Approximately 10 varieties have the KNOX trait.

Ready to eatKNOX extends the shelf life of lettuce by approx. 2 days.

Happy consumersNeedless to say, the benefits of KNOX will lead to a better end-user experience.

Bauke van Lenteren

February | 2016 3

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Consumers can rely on Sweet Palermo for consistently good flavour and quality, and that is an important message to convey according to Florent Rezeau, Marketing Specialist at Rijk Zwaan: “We do so through a consistently impeccable product and an all-encompassing marketing concept. At Rijk Zwaan, we have devised a toolkit to help all partners tell the same Sweet Palermo story with conviction.”

Sweet Palermo really hits the sweet spot, not least thanks to its brix value – at least 2 to 4 points higher than a standard blocky pepper – and consumer studies confirm that flavour is the main reason to buy. The biggest challenge is enticing shoppers to purchase it for the first time, but Rijk Zwaan lends a helping hand in this respect too. “We’ve developed a partnership model especially for Sweet

Palermo to unburden our partners and boost the sales figures. Selected growers produce a high-quality product, retailers provide shelf space and Rijk Zwaan positions the concept via unique displays, various packaging options, logos, informative websites, etc. It’s all in our toolkit.”

Enticing shoppers to purchase it for the first timeThe story is based on three pillars: flavour, versatility and convenience. Sweet Palermo’s sweet taste and crispy bite are irresistible every time. It is a real all-rounder in the kitchen because Sweet Palermo is perfect for cooking but also delicious in fresh salads. The ready-made marketing strategy means that all links in the chain can set to work immediately. In terms of future plans, Rijk Zwaan will be introducing yellow varieties alongside the red option in the coming season. Furthermore, as part of the robust overall concept, the first trials with orange pointed peppers will start shortly. 

Sweet Palermo®: the tasty, convenient and versatile pointed pepper

One year on from the international launch of Sweet Palermo, Rijk Zwaan’s pointed pepper is already gracing countless supermarket displays. This sweet innovation offers some welcome variety in the largely ‘boring’ bell pepper segment and, thanks to the specially designed packaging line, brand recognition is growing by the day.

New website bursting with informationTo whet consumers’ appetites for Sweet Palermo, Rijk Zwaan launched a website bursting with tips, product information and recipes. The modern design and appealing images are a visual feast and are aimed at inspiring people to discover the versatility of the sweet pointed pepper. The user-friendly website adds real value for Sweet Palermo partners and retailers alike. See www.sweetpalermo.com

Manuel Galdeano, President of the Murgiverde growers’ cooperative in Almería, Spain: “Maintaining an excellent flavour”Murgiverde has been producing and selling Sweet Palermo since 2002. “An exceptionally tasty pointed pepper,” states Manuel Galdeano. “Our customers keep asking for it by name. And I don’t buy any other type of sweet pepper any more either. My favourite recipe is oven-baked Sweet Palermo with a dash of olive oil.”

Mediterranean conditionsIn addition to the excellent product quality, Galdeano praises the technical traits of the Sweet Palermo varieties. “We grow them on the high wire with a two or three stem system. The average production is considerably higher than with other pointed peppers and the varieties are well suited to our Mediterranean conditions. They don’t always have all the resistances, however,

and that can sometimes be difficult in the spring when the burden of disease is

high. But our growers are experts who can also produce great peppers in the summer months. That’s important because it’s a period of increased demand

from northern Europe. We’re currently trialling a few yellow

varieties, and our growers are positive about them too.”

Together with Rijk Zwaan, Murgiverde is currently working on a good crop plan for the Sweet Palermo varieties. By creating better alignment between the sowing periods, the cooperative hopes to avoid peaks and troughs in production. “Rijk Zwaan have proved themselves to be a reliable partner. They develop unique products and supply high-quality seeds, so we are very happy to grow a large number of their varieties.” 

Sweetness is definitely Sweet Palermo’s trademark, and that should remain so, emphasises Manuel Galdeano. “In our view, the strategy for success is simple: only the very best and sweetest peppers must be allowed to carry the Sweet Palermo brand name.

That trait has enabled it to secure its current market status.” And Murgiverde

expects Sweet Palermo to further increase its market

share in Spain and France. Galdeano: “I’m

convinced that, once consumers have tasted Sweet Palermo for themselves, this sweet pointed pepper will

become a huge success.”

5Januari | 2016Februari | 2016 5

Rijk Zwaan presented its snack range at Fruit Attraction in Madrid, Spain

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Most supermarkets sell ‘shakers’ of snack tomatoes. They are generally filled with red ones, but they are increasingly available in variety of colours and shapes. In recent research in Germany, Rijk Zwaan asked 700 consumers to appraise and taste various ‘tomato shaker’ mixes.

Yellow, blocky and pear-shapedThe research revealed that consumers find mixed packs more appealing than the traditional red-only versions. This interesting finding fits in well with Rijk Zwaan’s breeding activities. Since last year the company has added the small yellow plum tomato 72-195 RZ, orange blocky tomato

72-188 RZ and orange pear-shaped tomato 72-187 RZ to its assortment – and other colours and shapes are ‘work in progress’.

Light-green, bi-colour and one-biteJust as with other varieties, reliability and production are important basic requirements when developing snack varieties. Rijk Zwaan has already launched a number of successes, such as Confetto RZ in tomatoes and Quarto RZ in cucumbers. The latter is widely sold in multi-packs for extra convenience. In addition to this ‘standard’ snack type, the mixes are gaining ground in this segment too, such as Quarto in combination with the light-green snack cucumber Quinton RZ, the one-bite 19-720 RZ and the green-white snack cucumber Quirk RZ.

Research has shown that consumers are enthusiastic about snack cucumber mixes too. Almost half of those surveyed chose a mixed pack immediately, and after the taste test that increased by a further 11%! In other words, there is still plenty of breeding work to be done in the cucumber segment.

Metro Hungary lists light-green snack cucumberRetailer Metro C&C Hungary launched a new range of snack vegetables in 2015, including a cucumber mix of fresh-green Quarto RZ with cream-white Quinton RZ. For attractive presentation, both types are harvested when they are the same size and are flow-

wrapped on a foam tray. The snack vegetable is sold as an own-label product and displays

the Metro Controlled Own Grower logo. The unique, colourful appeal

of the mix combined with the reassurance of Metro’s own

brand immediately stimulated sales and also keeps consumers coming back for more.

Mixes increase demand for diversity in snack varieties, ‘Let’s snack 2.0’Sweet, bite-sized plum tomatoes and handy, crunchy cocktail cucumbers: snack vegetables are the perfect way of increasing global vegetable consumption. Rijk Zwaan is continually developing suitable varieties and exploring sales opportunities, such as in the medley/mix segment.

With 400 stores Tesco is one of the leading retailers in Poland, and more than 5 million Polish people do their shopping with Tesco each week. The Silky Pink tomatoes from Rijk Zwaan have recently been added to the in-store offering – in an attractive 300 gram flow-wrapped pack: ‘Tesco jedz świeże’.

Tomatero is a medium-sized organic production company which cares about its products and its employees – a company with the same focus on corporate social responsibility as Rijk Zwaan itself. Long-standing collaboration has resulted in nutrient-rich vegetables, full-bodied flavour and high yields. Beetroot is the most recent addition.

Organic production in USA benefits from Zeppo RZ beetroot

Robert Kuczara, Tesco’s Technical Manager Central Europe.

jedz swieze

February | 2016 7

Winter production in SpainIf a consumer comes into the store especially for Silky Pink, it had better be in stock! Therefore, year-round supply is an absolute must. We find Polish growers to produce Silky Pink in the summer and autumn months, and supplies come from Spain in the winter and spring. They all grow Tatami RZ. Kuczara: “This variety immediately caught our eye during the demos. Its good flavour and nice, pink colour means that this cocktail truss type is perfect in our exclusive range.”

markets, local retailers and wholesalers with kale, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, fennel and – most recently – Zeppo RZ beetroot. Chris: “Consumers are enthusiastic about this smooth, round beetroot. It’s a feast for the eyes and you can use it in all sorts of tasty dishes. We are also interested in the productivity and reliability.” This fast-growing hybrid, which is intended for the fresh market, is a strong new entrant in the USA.

Robert Kuczara, Tesco’s Technical Manager for Central Europe, regards Rijk Zwaan as a valuable partner who helps the multinational to introduce innovative products, such as Silky Pink, in its stores. When asked about the secret of a good partnership, Kuczara replies: “Transparency and trust. Each year we organise several meetings so that both sides can exchange information and knowledge. And that works.”

Focus on packagingSilky Pink is not the first special Rijk Zwaan vegetable on Tesco Poland’s

shelves. The stores have already introduced the sweet pointed pepper Sweet Palermo, cucumbers and various

innovative lettuce types. “And we’re now presenting this pink tomato. We have high expectations thanks to its soft, juicy bite, well-

balanced flavour and distinctive colour. Such a beautiful product deserves stylish packaging,

and we’ve worked together with Rijk Zwaan on that aspect too. The tomatoes are now flow wrapped on a Silky

Pink tray with Tesco co-branding. The packaging displays the words ‘Tesco jedz świeże’ meaning ‘Tesco eat fresh’.”

Chris Tuohing is owner of Tomatero Organic Farms in Watsonville, northern California. He has been using Rijk Zwaan varieties for as long as he can remember. John Bauer from Johnny’s Selected Seeds alerts Chris to novelties and regularly organises trials at his farm. Together, they succeed in producing high-quality organic vegetables all year round,

Chris’s 2-hectare farm is certified organic and has 70 employees. It supplies dozens of farmers’

Tesco Poland ‘packs a punch’ with Silky Pink© tomatoes

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The Brazilian retail segment is booming. Consumer spending on groceries is up by more than 55 percent compared with a decade ago and high-quality food is particularly popular. That’s one of the many reasons for Rijk Zwaan to initiate and nurture sustainable partnerships. Since April 2015, Rijk Zwaan chain manager Thijs Hulisz has been coordinating this process.

Hans de Groot from Staay Food Group is enthusiastic about red Salanova® Batavia, which achieves higher repeat purchases and

significantly less product waste. “This lettuce meets the needs of a critical fresh chain.”

Red Salanova® batavia conquers German and Dutch markets

is sold by retailers in all segments,” continues Thijs Hulisz. “Our innovative and convenient lettuce addresses the culinary needs of the country’s growing middle class. Salanova is amongst others, produced close to Rio de Janeiro, where it is sold through Hortifruti stores.” “Growers are very enthusiastic about the possibilities and have even been featured with Salanova on national television (GLOBO). Now the ball’s in our court. Our team approaches potential customers and facilitates contact with growers. In addition, we’re setting up trials with new varieties and launching packaging concepts for both processed and wholehead Salanova. Our network is definitely growing steadily, and Brazil will soon be reaping the benefits.”Source: Country Report on Brazil, Planet Retail

supermarkets, among others. All our customers say the same thing: this lettuce adds to in-store appeal and has an attractive colour and a good bite. The sales figures for red Salanova batavia are even better than for red Salanova butter lettuce. I also have high expectations for the new green Salanova oakleaf, because it has the same outstanding visual characteristics, the right bite and a subtle sweetness. The Salanova lettuces from Deliscious definitely boost the freshness and attractiveness of a supermarket’s fresh category.”

The retail market is a colourful mix of large and small independant grocery chains, speciality stores and discounters: “Major chains such as Carrefour, Pão de Açucar and Walmart are the most dominant – not only with their hypermarkets but increasingly also with smaller, local stores. Furthermore, the discounter Dia Supermercado is growing and specialist retailers like Oba and Hortifruti are gaining ground.”

Brazilian consumers clearly like to have a choice and they alternate between the straightforward and affordable range of the ‘big names’ and the quality and convenience of speciality stores. “Salanova

“We’ve been handling the sales & marketing

for Deliscious in Beesel, the Netherlands, since 2007. Using LED lighting

and hydroponics, this company produces high-

quality and uniform root ball lettuces all year round. Last spring we

started growing red Salanova batavia; it’s a top-class product that’s already being sold by German supermarket chains such as Rewe and Metro. In the Netherlands we supply to Plus Retail and Jan Linders

Interest in Salanova®Brazil: a market of extremes

Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú offers its customers healthy and natural foods with high nutritional value. “That’s our mission statement,” emphasises owner Miguel Uccelli. “Without a doubt, the hydroponic method is the best way to grow consistent and healthy vegetables. Rijk Zwaan also saw opportunities to develop hydroponic lettuce as a new market segment in Peru so the two of us partnered up.”

on the Australian market. A high-quality, productive and grower-friendly variety like Endeavour is an excellent response to this country’s often volatile climate.”

Much of Endeavour’s success is due to its versatility. According to Steve Natsias, Rijk Zwaan’s Technical Representative, growers can almost always depend on a high-quality harvest, irrespective of planting date and production location – and the yield is virtually unrivalled! “I hear the same feedback everywhere: no matter how extreme the growing conditions are, the Endeavour fruits do not split and they retain their firmness at all times. Needless to say, that’s very beneficial in terms of presentation and shelf life.”

Last season, Endeavour even proved itself able to cope with the scorching heat on Adelaide’s plains, where several companies were growing the truss tomato without grafting. Ritchie: “It was great to see how this variety remained vital until the very end and produced uniform fruits in the 140-160 gram segment. The open, labour-friendly plant was well balanced, setting well and a head that constantly followed the wire. We will definitely be hearing more of this

Steve Natsias (l) and Andrew Potter.

Bonny Zambrano (l) from Bozelt Seeds, distributor Rijk Zwaan, Andres Campos, production manager (m) and Miguel Uccelli from Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú (r).

February | 2016 9

Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú was founded in 1997 and is a pioneer of the hydroponic (soilless) cultivation method in greenhouses in Peru. Miguel Uccelli: “We are located in the city of Lima, in the district of Lurin. Lettuce is by far the most important crop which we grow hydroponically. We can regulate the conditions better and, because of the hydroponic method, the lettuce heads are very clean: no soil or residues. We are especially fond of Flandria RZ. This variety has a consistent quality throughout the whole year, even during the summer when butterhead lettuce consumption is higher.”

ButterheadUccelli is testing three new varieties in Peru: Rex RZ, Cosmopolia RZ and Zendria RZ. Cosmopolia could be a very

High-quality hydroponiclettuce in Peru

good alternative to Flandria RZ because it has a higher average head weight. The other benefit is a strong bremia resistance pattern. According to the company owner, the market has welcomed Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú’s products. “Most products are sold in local supermarkets like Wong’s and I see the demand for hydroponic produce increasing rapidly.”  

Following on from Mexico, Canada and Western Europe, there is now a new standard for large truss tomatoes in Australia too: Endeavour RZ. Growers praise this robust crop that does not grow too full too quickly, and with its high quality and strong green stem this truss tomato variety performs well in sales channels too.

Australia embraces productive, high-quality tomato Endeavour RZ

On the rise: Caribbean and Sandissima® melons from Turkey

‘There’s a big chance that the nice Caribbean melons in Dubai come from Turkey’

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them with this. It’s exciting because a number of large-scale, commercial crops are planned. In addition we will be starting trials with our seedless watermelon at various locations, and the sales channels will be hearing more from us too: we want to sell more products directly to retailers and are currently exploring partnership opportunities with processors. They’ve already shown an interest in our melons.” 

Although the traditional Turkish melon, the Kirkacag melon and the large Crimson watermelon still dominate the market, Bilge, Rijk Zwaan’s Chain Manager in Turkey, nevertheless perceives a slight shift. “Changing consumer lifestyles are creating a need for different products, and growers and dealers can sense international opportunities! Export activities are opening up completely new and above all sizeable markets. In other words, there’s plenty of sales interest in ‘special’ melons.”

Various Caribbean and Sandissima varieties were trialled in Turkey last year. “We then held tasting sessions for retailers, wholesalers and dealers and organised promotional activities in stores. We received positive reactions, which encouraged growers to incorporate the concepts into their production plan for this year too. Turkey’s Mediterranean coast and the highlands are ideal production locations for Caribbean melons, for example. Two growers planted Caribbean King RZ (on 8 and 30 hectares respectively) intended for the British market and the United Arab Emirates. There’s a big chance that the nice Caribbean melons in Dubai come from Turkey.”

The Sandissima concept has also attracted attention. One of Turkey’s largest fruit and

vegetable distributors, Çekok, planted 1 hectare of Conguita RZ and Tigrinho RZ this

season. According to Çekok, this product is popular thanks to its small, handy format. This makes the melons easy to transport and consumers can eat them in one go. The sales figures were good and the distributor has planned

in new production.

Bilge: “Growers will hopefully also see their yields increase further again in

the year ahead. Needless to say, we help

Turkey is a real melon country. In 2012, it ranked second in the world in terms of watermelon production, and new types are also gradually gaining a foothold. For example, both the domestic market and international markets are interested in the Caribbean and Sandissima® concepts. Rijk Zwaan facilitated contact for the growers with Metro Dubai and Metro Russia, among other retailers, and the growth continues.

Purchasing Director from Çekok Gokay Isa Ozyuksel (l) and Production Manager Çekok Atalay Imal.

10

Australian harvest of Caribbean King RZ progressing wellThe crop is looking good and the melons are ready to be

harvested. In Wallaville, Queensland (close to Bundaberg),

grower Peter McLennan discusses his experiences with Maurice

Schiavon, Rijk Zwaan Technical Representative. He is especially

enthusiastic about the high yield from his field of Caribbean

King RZ. The variety lived up to all expectations: the harper

melons grew in around 80 days into firm, aromatic fruits with a

uniform pattern of fine lines on their skin. Trials also revealed a

good shelf life.

Long shelf life varieties Production region Harvest periodAgustino RZ Central America February - AprilSignol RZ Senegal and Morocco April - JuneBarriol RZ Spain and France May - AugustAcropol RZ France and Italy June - September

Aromatic varieties Production region Harvest period Belharra RZ (34-401 RZ) Morocco and Spain April - JuneSaswing RZ Spain and France June - JulyEllington RZ Spain, France and Italy July - August

Northwestern Europe enjoys tasty charentais all year round

February | 2016

No French home is complete without a delicious charentais. These round, striped melons with orange flesh are eaten fresh or as an ingredient in a wide variety of dishes. These melons are immensely popular thanks to their distinctive flavour and versatility, not only in France but also in other countries. To keep pace with the growing demand, Rijk Zwaan has spent many years working on a broad range of varieties. The extensive assortment enables year-round production. Production takes place in Central and South America in the autumn and winter, followed by Senegal, Morocco and Spain in the spring and France and Italy in the summer and early autumn months.

All the varieties meet Rijk Zwaan’s high standards. They are healthy and reliable to produce – thanks to the wide range of resistances – and they are strong enough to guarantee a good shelf life during transportation without losing their aromatic qualities.

Year-round product supply is often a precondition of long-term contacts and contracts. Therefore, Rijk Zwaan developed a charentais range containing varieties for every season –putting an end to empty shelves in north-western Europe for good!

Peter McLennan (l) and Maurice Schiavon.

11

Earlier this year, Nickolay Pekunkin from open-field production company Demetra LLC in Mari El Rebublic (Gornomarysky Region, Russia) trialled Rijk Zwaan’s new white cabbage, Flexima RZ. The grower praises the nice, round cabbages because of their health and good shelf life. “Flexima is an attractive green colour when it comes out of storage and that’s what the consumer likes.”

Flexima RZ white cabbage in Mari El Rebublic, Russia

Erntebant processes Monty RZ beetroot

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The partnership between Demetra and Rijk Zwaan started ten years ago with the covered production of gherkins. As the breeder’s cabbage range grew, the partnership gradually expanded to include more open-field crops. Nowadays, Rijk Zwaan varieties – and predominantly Mucsuma RZ and Storema RZ – take up 50% of Demetra’s cabbage production area. 20% of the cabbages are sold fresh and the rest are stored. They are all destined for Moscow, Cheboksary, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod.

Changes in the economic situation have led to adapted varieties. For example,

The production facility in Winnenden, Germany, has been part of Ernteband’s parent company Grünewald International since 1985. Local

growers have been supplying them with carrot and beetroot for

as long as anyone can remember, often on a contract-production basis

and under Ernteband’s supervision. The beetroot is harvested using a machine

that is tailored to the shape of sugar beet. This method means that elongated varieties can become severely damaged, so growers went in search of a round beetroot instead. Following trials, a clear winner emerged: Monty.

the decline of cheap labour has made mechanical harvesting more important but not every cabbage is suitable. “Our trials with Flexima revealed little damage to the cabbages, partly due to their upright growth habit and tight outer leaves and this variety produces exactly the type of cabbage that Russian retailers want: 2 to 3 kilos and nice and round. As they can no longer import cabbages from Europe, storage is becoming even more important for us. Flexima was still fresh and green even after a long storage period, so we will definitely be adding this variety to our production plan next year.”

Stephan Rast, Quality Manager at Ernteband, explains the success of Monty: “This variety has more strength and vitality than the conventional elongated beetroot, especially in the spring. These traits, combined with the high yield, make this is a reliable variety for our growers and Monty also performs well when grown organically. Growers benefit from a healthy crop, a high yield and a better internal quality than normal. It’s a grower-friendly variety that also meets our demands! We regularly inform Rijk Zwaan of our needs, because you can only create something special by sharing knowledge, experience and information with one another.”

Nickolay Pekunkin from Demetra LLC.

Last year Rijk Zwaan Italy embarked on a trip around the entire peninsula, accompanied by the most important players in the fresh food chain. The aim? To help them discover its new proposals for the endive range.

the company Mirone Giuseppe. The company’s main endive varieties are Kethel RZ and Anconi RZ. Giuseppe Mirone is also president of the growers’ cooperative Il Faldo, located near Alessandria. “We are very happy with Avral and Timehal. They are the first light-green endives with enough strength against bolting and tip burn. Those traits are very important to us. We grow both varieties for all Italian markets with very good results everywhere. Feedback has been very positive: they are ‘grower-friendly’ and just what the market wants. We would like to extend our cooperation with Rijk Zwaan and try some other smooth endives.”

Brescia area – Simone Vischioni is very pleased with the results of Timehal and Avral. He works at the company Ugolini which is located in Lombardy, near Lake Garda. Vischioni: “We produce curly and smooth endives for all main markets in northern Italy and for the main northern Italian processors.”After trialling the ‘Star in Campo’ varieties the company was asked to organise the first stop on the endive roadshow. “The partnership with Rijk Zwaan has always been very good, so we were happy to open up our demo field. With the help of Rijk Zwaan’s technical advisors we were able to show some superb endives. In my opinion that’s the most important advantage of this seed company: they not only supply great varieties, but also provide expert guidance.” Next season Ugolini will expand its Rijk Zwaan variety range with Anconi RZ smooth endives and with bigger trials of the curly endives 11-205 RZ and 11-206 RZ. 

Under the name ‘Star in Campo’ Rijk Zwaan Italy organised a complete event that, in addition to visiting demo fields, also entailed consumer-related activities linked to Love my Salad. The new varieties – represented mainly by Avral RZ and Timehal RZ – have distinctive traits, the most innovative of which is the light-green colour which gives them a sweeter taste due to the lower concentration of chlorophyll. This marks a real turning point for the curly endive range. In addition, they have good sized heads and tender leaves, which are greatly appreciated by the whole of today’s agrifood chain. The ‘roadshow’ covered almost the entire country since the new endive varieties are suitable for almost every cultivation period throughout Italy.

Best practices Alessandria – One of the growers who joined the endive roadshow in northern Italy is Giuseppe Mirone, owner of

Star in Campo:

Turning point for curly endives in Italy

The endive roadshow consisted of six different stops in Italy, from north to south, including Sicily. During the events lots of growers, fresh cut processors, traders and technicians were introduced to Rijk Zwaan’s light-green curly endives. The roadshow ended in December 2015.

February | 2016 13

Mark Charlesworth, Crop Coordinator leafy crops (l) and Carlo Fermi, Crop Specialist Endive Italy.

Faiza RZ

Maraine RZ Olite RZ

Responding to consumer needs around the world

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Ideal partner: red little gem

Rediscovering pole slicing beans

José Luis Sáiz Moya, Crop Coordinator Lettuce

Mathilde Tournebize, Marketing Specialist

Faiza RZ is an attractive dark-green pole slicing bean that is easily recognisable in fresh produce displays. In addition to the colour, other benefits include its flavour, nutritional value, processability and convenience. Mathilde Tournebize, Marketing Specialist at Rijk Zwaan, especially loves its sweet taste: “Faiza has a distinctive, sweeter flavour which consumers rated highly during testing. They were also impressed by this variety’s delicate fresh bite: crisp and juicy at the same time. Since it is not necessary to remove the seal, this pole slicing bean is convenient for consumers and processors alike. Moreover, Faiza can be produced all year round with a high yield. The presentation and shelf life of the variety is also good, so that

the product retains its high nutritional value even after harvesting. Faiza already has intermediary resistance to the Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV) and Rijk Zwaan is continuously investing in bean breeding to further increase the reliability of the crop. We’re now looking forward to presenting this new pole bean variety at Fruit Logistica in Berlin!” 

More and more consumers are discovering the culinary delights of little gem, which is also known as baby romaine lettuce. This type of lettuce is distinguished by small, dense heads of juicy leaves. In addition to the green version, Rijk Zwaan also offers several red ones which are ideal for duo packs together with their green ‘brother’. José Luis Sáiz Moya, Crop Coordinator Lettuce, mentions three options: “Maraine RZ, Rosaine RZ and 41-454 RZ. Both Maraine and Rosaine have a splendid red colour and are the perfect shape to be packaged together with other green little gem varieties such as Olite RZ. Both varieties perform well in moderate climates and the Mediterranean region.

And our newcomer 41-454 RZ gives us a slightly bigger version. Because the head is more open at the top, the prominence of the red leaves creates an even more attractive contrast with green Rafael RZ, for instance!”

Callanzo RZ

Responding to consumer needs around the world

February | 2016 15

When the days are short and dark, how can growers continue to produce high-quality tomatoes? Crop Coordinator tomato Ben Zwinkels sees the solution on a daily basis: assimilation lighting. “Many companies grow tomatoes under lights nowadays, so at Rijk Zwaan we take this production method into consideration when selecting our tomatoes. After all, not every plant produces good results under lights. Take Callanzo RZ, for example. We’ve conducted extensive trials with this coarse truss tomato and it has proven to be extremely suitable for growing under lights thanks to its early maturity and generative nature, and the quality is good too. While Callanzo is a newcomer, the fine truss tomato Roterno RZ has

a long-standing reputation, both in traditional and illuminated production. This variety also guarantees a year-round supply of high-quality tomatoes – as our customers know from experience! Therefore, these nice, tasty tomatoes are firm favourites among Dutch and British supermarket chains.

Carrot with minimal waste

Ben Zwinkels, Crop Coordinator Tomato

Michael Sempf, Marketing Specialist Open Field Crops

A sustainable fruit and vegetable chain should generate little waste. Over the past four years, Carrot Jerada RZ has proved to be a good fit. “Jerada produces few losses in the field plus minimal waste during storage,” says Marketing Specialist open field crops Michael Sempf. “That’s an important buying consideration for retailers and also boosts the image of the chain. Furthermore, this carrot produces a good, high-quality yield. Jerada is primarily known for its good early-harvest and storage traits. It’s the most uniform variety in this segment. In addition, it stands out thanks to its long harvest window, good shelf life and very healthy, upright tops. Therefore, it’s sometimes also used as a dual-purpose

variety: in an early phase as a bunching carrot and later as a B-carrot for the fresh market. It’s a real all-rounder which is steadily gaining ground in terms of production, and no tonly in traditional growing regions: production recently started in Italy, and northern Europe will follow shortly.”

Jerada RZ

Dark days: tomatoes under lights

Market research shows that colour-mix packs are more

appealing to consumers

If you have any questions, please contact your local Rijk Zwaan representative or send an email to chainmanagement@rijkzwaan.nl. For a current list of all Rijk Zwaan events, go to www.rijkzwaan.com/events or scan the QR code.

Rijk Zwaan Distribution B.V. | Postbus 40 | 2678 ZG De Lier | The Netherlands | www.rijkzwaan.com