Partnership no5

The Partnership
news and views from Enza Zaden
5
no.
Trends
Food awareness
Product
Markets
Marketing
Partnership in
pickling cucumbers
A country of the
great diversity
Marketing with
brands
Index
Opportunities and excitement
Markets
Product
a rich variety of produce that is perhaps unique in the world. This
has led to an extensive food tradition and an interesting market.
The journey of vegetable evolution
Journey of the Seed
Consumer-focused marketing with brands
30 In Focus
In focus
companies. These are now one of the most well-known and
respected agricultural companies in Egypt.
In focus
Up to date with the latest developments.
4
8
In Focus
Food awareness
In 1989 two pioneers decided to partner up and open their own
Partnership
Pioneers from Egypt
26 Marketing
There has been a strong trend towards a healthy lifestyle and a
healthy diet. An insight in organic cultivation and food miles.
It’s fascinating how vegetable variation, types and even species
evolve over time, over geographic areas and over socio-economic
developments of the people eating them.
12
14
Many people are amazed by the wide variety of activities that the
good quality.
Consumer-focused marketing has become more important than
ever. But what exactly does it entail?
Marketing
Seed Cleaning department involves. It’s all for the sake of ensuring
Trends
2 | The Partnership
Italy boasts a climatic and geographic diversity which translates into
21 Product
Rob Keene
Italy, the country of great diversities
20 Column
Wishing you every success in 2014.
but many other countries are also familiar with this product:
16 Trends
Again ‘The Partnership’ magazine offers you a glimpse of
the world of vegetable breeding. We hope you enjoy this
fifth edition.
Pickling cucumbers are originated in Eastern Europe and Russia,
12 Partnership 14 In Focus
In 2014 we will consolidate our investment in Florida, USA
breeding with new facilities, start with our own new
breeding station in Brazil and begin on further renewal of
the older greenhouses in our breeding station in
Enkhuizen. Our aim and dedication is to breeding and
creating new high quality vegetable seed varieties for the
professional grower. And in the markets we are ready and
experienced enough to face all new challenges that may
come our way.
Partnership in pickling cucumbers
gherkins.
8 Markets
2014 brings us a new year of opportunities and excitement
in our world of vegetable seeds. In this first issue of the
year we are pleased to bring to your attention our active
participation in the world renowned Fruit Logistica
exhibition in Berlin. Fruit Logistica provides a platform to
bring together the creators of the genetic basis to added
value vegetable varieties with the growers and fresh
produce marketing trade. Nowhere in the world is there
such a cutting edge exhibition, a must to visit for all our
customers from around the world to see how Enza Zaden
works with its partners around the world.
4 Product
2013 has been an excellent year for Enza Zaden, we have
achieved our goals and in many cases exceeded
expectations. It has been a good year in which to celebrate
75 years Enza Zaden, and our thanks and appreciation go
out to all our partners in business.
The latest updates on the events to come.
16
Cover: Keimpe Veenstra, Regional Sales Director North West Europe Fruity Crops
26
The Partnership | 3
Product
Cucumbers,
smaller than the
mini type, and
with a spiny skin:
pickling cucumbers
originated in
India, later were
spread to Eastern
Europe and Russia
and are still very
popular and most
consumed type of
cucumber in those
areas today. Many
other countries are
also familiar with
this product, but
then usually with
the pickled variant:
gherkins.
Consumed and produced
Produced
“Pickling cucumbers are a versatile product,”
says Oleg Gladouniak, Region Manager for
Eastern Europe & Central Asia. “A large part of the
overall crop is intended for the fresh market, the rest is
pickled.” Each of those markets has its own requirements.
Whereas the fresh market prefers well-filled, large fruits with
good quality and shelf-life, the processing industry wants
cucumbers that are small in size, crisp, and with a specific
diameter/length ratio. “That ratio is 1:3. In other words,
Pickling consumption and production
ideally, a cucumber with a diameter of three centimetres
Pickling cucumber is consumed in Eastern Europe and
must be nine centimetres long.”
Russia. However, in North Russia, near the Scandinavian
border, LET cucumbers are eaten the most as this region is
Pickling versus mini cucumbers
influenced by Finland. The Caucasus and Central Asia are
The four largest production areas of pickling cucumbers worldwide
strongly influenced by Middle East and here mini cucumbers
are India, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. In southern
are the prevailing type.
regions, comprising Turkey, the Caucasus and the Middle East,
smooth mini cucumbers are particularly popular. But that’s not to
Eastern Europe and Russia aren’t able to grow a sufficient
say that the spiny type isn’t grown in those areas. Gladouniak: “Until
amount of products for their market themselves. Therefore,
recently pickling type was also grown in the Middle East, in
picklings are also produced in India and Turkey for this
particular in Jordan and Turkey. The crops produced there were
market.
intended for the Russian market. The unrest in the Middle East has,
however, completely blocked transport from that areas.” The quality
of imported produce from Turkey is also far from ideal. “Cucumbers
tend to lose moisture quickly and become soft. The time to the
market is simply too long.”
Partnership
Pickling
cucumbers
in
This is much less of a problem in the case of processed cucumbers.
Matthijs Groot, who works at the Spanish breeding station as a Crop
Therefore, the pickling cucumbers are produced and processed
Research Manager for Cucumbers, confirms this, and explains that
largely in India, where processing costs are a lot lower than in
the development of the pickling cucumbers is a success story based
Eastern Europe and Russia.
on good cooperation. Groot: “We took a few lines of the traditional
type with us from Russia and started working with them in Spain.
Partnership in the cucumber’s development
We first wanted to find out what product model was most suitable
The breeding work for the pickling cucumbers takes place at
for this market, so which characteristics were important for ensuring
Enza Zaden’s R&D station in Spain, far away from the market for
the project’s success. The next step was to determine the details of
which the product is intended. Gladouniak: “The decision to use this
the product model in terms of genetic variation and decide which
station was the most logical at the time. Pickling cucumbers are
types we should use to realise our aim. In the initial phase we were
grown on a small scale in Spain too, and this is where all the
growing so many different types of cucumbers in our greenhouses
knowhow relating to this product is concentrated. And seven years
that many employees were wondering what on earth we were
ago the breeding efforts for pickling cucumbers were still in a
doing. In those days pickling cucumbers were a new product for us,
project stage.”
and we had to get used to working with a different type of plant.”
The Partnership | 5
Product
Key to success
Challenges for the future
poorly in heated greenhouses. The second option implies a great
The key to the project’s success, says Groot, was the dedicated
In the traditional pickling cucumber areas there is a great year-round
challenge in breeding cucumbers with a good keeping quality.
commitment of the Region Manager who stood at the birth of the
demand for fresh pickling cucumbers, which cannot be grown
Whereas our LET cucumbers have a keeping quality of two to three
breeding of this type of cucumber. But the enthusiasm and support
locally in the winter. The growers who can afford heating then all
weeks, shelf-life of pickling cucumbers is shorter. So there is still a
from Russia and Ukraine were also contributory factors. Groot:
switch to so called ‘Russian slicers’. So the future holds some major
lot of room for improvement in the field of keeping quality.”
“Such enthusiasm and support are essential in any breeding project.
challenges and opportunities. There would seem to be two options:
All the parties involved in the project were also able to work
breeders will have to develop good new varieties of pickling
The way things are looking at the moment, the breeding programme
together wonderfully well thanks to the short communication lines
cucumbers for the heated cultivation in winter season, or the
for pickling cucumbers will intensify in the near future, mostly on a
and good feedback. And on top of that we were not afraid of being
varieties have to be adjusted to allow them to be grown in countries
local level. Groot: “As a multi-local company, we want to implement
innovative, which enabled us to distinguish ourselves in the
that are capable of supplying them in the winter, such as Spain,
our programmes in the countries for which they are intended.”
traditional market.”
Iran, Turkey and Middle East. Groot: “The first option implies a major
Gladouniak, who expects that cultivation of pickling cucumbers in
challenge with respect to the plant. It will have to be capable of
greenhouses will become increasingly professional in the years to
What happened next
performing well in the low-light conditions during the Russian
come, also has great faith in the future of this type: “There is
The trial project eventually resulted in an in-house breeding team
winter months. On top of that, varieties that tolerate low
sufficient excellent breeding material in the pipeline for the different
that focuses entirely on this specific type of cucumber. The past five
temperatures well – a prerequisite for this market – tend to do
breeding seasons and various regions.”
years this type’s turnover has increased tenfold for Enza Zaden.
“That’s something I’m really proud of,” says Gladouniak. “We now
have five different pickling cucumber varieties, each of them
Spearheads in the breeding
of pickling cucumbers
perfectly suiting different climatic conditions and cultivation
seasons. We are currently also testing some promising new varieties
that we hope to introduce in a few years’ time. Our dynamic
Gunnar, a success thanks to our
courage to be innovative
working process based on our faith in the expertise and
Early harvest
entrepreneurial spirit of the breeders and other people concerned
Good
performance in low light
conditions
ensures efficient, flexible contacts. That has been an important
factor in this fast success.”
What started as a small-scale breeding programme
Tolerance to low temperatures
in 2006 has over the years evolved into a veritable
But it’s not the only success factor. Something else that has proved
success story. A few lines of cucumber brought along
to be of great importance in this respect is the way that the
from Russia launched the adventure that ultimately
breeding material is tested in trials in the cultivation areas. “There,
Good (cylindrical) shape
resulted in Gunnar, an innovative variety that proved to
under the local conditions, we are able to select the most suitable
be very good for the market. With its longer cylindrical
lines at an early stage already,” explains Gladouniak. “As soon as the
fruit and dark colour, it differed from the traditional
seeds of new hybrids become available in larger quantities, we test
Colour:
dark green in Central Asia and
medium green in Eastern Europe
type of cucumbers. Gladouniak: “But that was precisely
them in the areas for which they are intended. The growers are
what the market excepted. There was a lot of room
consequently also involved in the development of a new variety at
for improvement in the traditional types, such as yield,
plant type, resistances, and this particular market
happened to be open to innovation. We focused on
the most important seasons in this region: spring and
autumn.”
The first screenings took place in Russia and Ukraine
only a year later. Their results were then translated for
implementation in other pickling cucumber production
Shiny skin
"Cultivation
an early stage.”
conditions are
Development and sales
more important
So the Region Manager works in the Netherlands, the breeding work
is done in Spain and the market
is thousands
of kilometres
away.
than
in the
case
How do you make sure that the varieties fully meet the growers’ and
greenhouse
market’s latest requirements?of
Gladouniak:
“Once a year we organise
field days for all the parties concerned:
the
main growers,
cultivation"
Dense spines
Varieties
that can easily be grown and
produce high-quality fruits
distributors, breeders, portfolio managers and sales managers. We
areas. Groot: “Our courage to be innovative enabled
then spend a week travelling around the southern parts of Ukraine
us to distinguish ourselves in this market. After some
and Russia, visiting various growers and evaluating trial fields.
time growers began to ask specifically for this variety,
Experience has shown that this is the ideal way of learning all there
precisely because it was different.”
is to know about the various varieties, exchanging experiences with
one another and, of course, also promoting our product.”
6 | The Partnership
Resistances
Once a year we organise field days for all the parties concerned:
the main growers, distributors, breeders, portfolio managers and sales managers.
The Partnership | 7
great diversities
Italy, the country
of
variety of vegetables, from pointed sweet peppers to melons, from
onions to endive, plus numerous typically Italian vegetables such as
diversity which – from the Alps to
Sicily – translates into a rich variety of
produce that is perhaps unique in the
world. Through the years, this has led
to an extensive food tradition and an
interesting market.
1
6
7
1
7
16
6
1
4
7
4
4
2
4
1
1
9
8
11
17
15
13
10
10
So it’s not surprising that traditional Italian cuisine is based on a wide
Italy boasts a climatic and geographic
Fennel - 90% local, 10% exported
Rocket - 50% local, 50% export
Cauliflower - 80% local, 20% export
Radicchio - 90% loca, 10% exported
6
4
2
Diversity
Markets
Exporting or consuming locally?
In overall 20 to 25 percent of
the vegetables grown in Italy
are being exported. 8
17
18
2
2
2
7
10
turnip tops, fennel and radicchio. What’s more, within that wide range
of vegetables there’s also a great deal of diversity in types and varieties.
37
3
8
Take tomatoes – many different types of tomatoes are popular in Italy:
the internationally well-known beef tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and vine
3
6
4
tomatoes, but also typically Italian tomatoes such as ox heart tomatoes,
San Marzano and Marmande tomatoes and green tomato varieties.
Enza Zaden Italia
This great diversity makes the Italian market interesting, but also
complex. For a start, those different climatic conditions call for different
varieties. “Italy is a valuable market in which Enza Zaden has been
% of total production of Italy (ha/are)
Fruity
Leafy
Local breeding crops (fennel, cauliflower, radicchio, onion)
active for many years”, says Rob Keene, Director of International Affairs
at Enza Zaden. “We bought our then local distributor Semelecta over
25 years ago, and started Enza Zaden Italia. This enabled us to come
closer to the market and serve our customers more efficiently.”
Agriculture
Italy's agriculture is typical of the division
Enza Zaden Italia is now based in Tarquinia, situated on the coast just
between the agricultures of the northern and
one hour’s drive north of Rome. It is there that the decision was taken
southern countries of the European Union. The
to invest in important home markets. That marked the launch of a
northern part of Italy produces primarily grains,
“Agriculture in Italy is very developed thanks to the assorted territory
breeding programme focusing on various important products, including
sugarbeets, soybeans, meat and dairy products,
and abundance of agricultural resources and biodiversity,” says
fennel and radicchio. A few years later, in 2011, Enza Zaden felt the
whereas the south specialises in fruit and
Giuseppe Arnesi, General Manager of Enza Zaden Italia. The
need to speed up research into tomatoes intended for sale as fresh
vegetables, olive oil, wine and durum wheat.
elongated country is characterised by different climates, altitudes
produce in Italy. A new site on Sicily was selected to support the
Although large parts of its mountainous terrain
and soils, which long ago resulted in a wide diversity of high-quality
breeding activities in Tarquinia. Arnesi: “Only a few companies in Italy
are unsuitable for farming, Italy has a large
crops. “Crops with an excellent flavour,” adds Arnesi. “In some
have so far had the courage to make such important professional
workforce (1.4 million) employed in agriculture.
parts of Italy there is a great difference between day and night
investments in our country; Enza Zaden’s venture was a success in
Most farms are small, with an average acreage of
temperatures, which is very advantageous for the sugar content –
which the managers, the mother company and the Italian team may
only seven hectares.
and hence flavour – of various products.”
rightly take pride.”
The Partnership | 9
Market
Challenges
Italian growers are merited for their great passion and dedication to
European Plant Breeders Rights is an essential part of
their products, for ensuring that those products meet all health and
the process in protecting our business in Italy. All
quality standards, for promoting organic products and for making
varieties created by the long research and breeding
efforts to minimise the use of undesirable and unhealthy chemical
processes need to have their intellectual property
products. The Italian agricultural industry even seems to be a
rights protected. Seed companies invest heavily in
standard-bearer for ‘Made in Italy’ excellence, guaranteeing
creating new varieties and in ensuring the best seed
Onions are grown almost everywhere at latitudes
authenticity and quality. So it will come as no surprise that the
quality for their customers. Ensuring the protection of
between 5 and 60° on both hemispheres. On the list of
industry’s domestic production can withstand international
our intellectual property is not only a must for Enza
vegetable crops grown worldwide they rank second,
competition.
Zaden, but also for our customers. Arnesi: “Italy’s
Luigi Selleri, Onion Breeder for Enza Zaden Italy
Expanding the onion programme
climate makes it an ideal region for producing seed.
preceded only by tomatoes. As onions are day-lengthdependent, varieties adapted to a certain latitude can’t
The main horticultural products are sold on the Italian home market.
The reproduced seed is of such good quality that it can
be grown commercially at other latitudes. A distinction
Arnesi: “In total, 20 to 25 percent of the vegetables grown in Italy
hardly be distinguished from the real seed, and it is
is therefore made between onion varieties on the basis
are exported to countries within and outside Europe; the rest is
consequently sold as such. However, the quality of this
of the latitude at which they can be grown: Long Long
intended for local consumption. With a positive export growth –
reproduced seed cannot be guaranteed and may not
Day (LLD), Long Day (LD), Intermediate Day (ID) and
eight percent in 2012 – it’s challenging to find new opportunities in
always be reliable and consistent.” “Strong
Short Day (SD) varieties.
this field, especially for the leafy crops grown for the processing
relationships with our customers, continuity of
industry.”
business relations, and loyalty and reliability all are
therefore important in developing a strong business in
Enza Zaden has long been actively breeding short
day and intermediate day onion varieties, mostly in
Trends
Australia, New Zealand and more recently the United
The Italians have always been very traditional when it comes to
States. At the end of 2011 the breeding programme
choosing and cooking their vegetables. This seems to be true today
But the greatest challenge for the Italian market is
was expanded to include long day varieties suitable
more than ever before. Arnesi: “There seems to be a trend towards
diversity. Arnesi: “We have developed quite a few good
for various other important markets. Italy was chosen
vegetables of bygone days, resulting in a growing demand for the
varieties since we started our research activities. We
as the central location for this programme due to its
kind of products that la mamma used to serve, such as Marmande
intend to continue our efforts in the future, our aim
favourable climatic conditions for the production of the
tomatoes, horn peppers and turnip tops.”
being to develop a top variety of each type of
Italy”, adds Keene.
vegetable, especially the typically Italian vegetables.”
seed.
Markets
Fennel Gratin
Like most consumers nowadays, Italians are often pressed for time,
Ingredients (servin
gs 4-6)
2 lbs fennel bulbs
1/3 cup butter
1 cup grated parmigi
an
1 cup whole milk or o
1
1 cup bechamel sauc cup half-and-half
e
salt
Directions:
Wash the fennel, st
rip away the outer
of leaves if they're
la
tough, slice the bu yer
lbs
into thin wedges, an
d
minutes in salted w boil them for 10
ater.
Drain them well an
d sauté them in th
e
butter, adding the
milk a few tablespo
ons
at a time, and once
yo
simmer for 15 minut u have added it all
es.
In the meantime, pr
epare the béchamel
sauce and preheat
oven to 400F.
Butter an oven-pro
of
fennel is done simm dish, and when the
ering transfer it to
the
dish.
Dust the fennel w
ith the grated chee
se,
pour the béchamel
sauce over it, and
ba
the fennel for 20
minutes, or until it ke
is
lightly browned.
The programme was set up in Tarquinia, in newly
and are therefore interested in convenience products. Whereas
built premises comprising two separate facilities.
markets used to be the most important points of sales for fresh,
“One of those facilities is used for storing the bulbs,”
unprocessed vegetables, people nowadays tend to want cleaner
says Luigi Selleri, Onion Breeder for Enza Zaden Italy.
products that are convenient and ready to cook. The supermarkets
“It’s equipped with big fans to dry the bulbs. The
have taken over the hard work of cleaning, peeling and selecting
temperature is meanwhile kept at ambient level to
products – tasks that were always done at home in the past.
Fennel
ensure the right selection pressure. The second facility
Supermarkets offer consumers ready-processed vegetables and
Fennel belongs to the Apiaceae family and is very popular in the Mediterranean. Italy has the
is intended for phenotypic selection. A modern grading
vegetables that are fresh, but cleaner than when they come straight
largest number of consumers of this vegetable and the largest acreages: about 22,000 to
machine separates the bulbs into seven different
from the land. Only Italians of the older generation still mostly buy
25,000 ha per year. In terms of market value in Italy, fennel comes second only after
weight ranges. The machine is linked to a computer
their vegetables unprocessed at the market.
tomatoes. Fennel is of only relative importance worldwide. Its European acreage outside
Serve
Italy amounts to only about 2,500 ha.
that records the weight of each bulb, enabling us to
objectively and scientifically compare different bulb lots
As far as the younger generation is concerned, things have changed
and evaluate aspects such as yields and bulb density.”
considerably. Traditional Italian cuisine is based on large quantities of
So why is fennel still such a local product and hasn’t it swept the global market like other
vegetables, but the consumption of vegetables has decreased over
typically Italian vegetables such as rocket? Marcello Fioravanti: “Some aspects make fennel
the past years, especially among the younger generation. Marcello
difficult to sell outside Italy – in the first place its size and distinctive taste of anise. On top of
Fioravanti, who works for Enza Zaden’s Marketing department in
that, people outside Italy often don't know that fennel can be eaten both raw and cooked. Its
Italy: “That’s why many products are now sold in combination with
texture changes a lot when it’s cooked, from crunchy and fresh to softer and more delicate.
other food, such as spinach and mozzarella cheese, or frozen mixed
People just don’t know enough about fennel.”
vegetables and potatoes ready to cook and serve.”
10 | The Partnership
The Partnership | 11
Partnership
Pioneers
from Egypt
Assem and Sherif Doss present at a technical seminar
The strong population growth
in Egypt together with the
expanding agricultural sector
in the eighties created new
and interesting opportunities.
Electric engineer Assem Doss
and mechanical engineer
Gamal Aziz didn’t hesitate and
took their chance. They
decided to start a career as
Sales Engineers promoting
agricultural machinery and
agricultural inputs at El
Aguizy group. They did so
until 1989 when they decided
to partner up and open their
own companies: Assem Doss
& Co. for agricultural inputs
and Gamal Aziz & Co. for
irrigation equipment.
Just a year later, the Norwegian company Norsk Hydro, now
Well-known
known as Yara International ASA, contacted Assem Doss asking
The partnership between the two companies has turned out to be
The successes yet achieved and the great potential of future
him to introduce its complete fertilizer range to the Egyptian
a great success. Since 2002, Assem Doss & Co. has become one
successes made the second generation of the entrepreneurs,
market. This cooperation was a success to the extent that they
of the most well-known high quality hybrid seed distribution
Sherif Assem Doss and Mostafa Gamal Aziz, decide to join the
decided to take it even a step further and establish a joint venture
companies in Egypt. “The continuous technical and marketing
companies of their fathers. Their goal is to lead the hybrid seed
company: Yara Agri Trade Misr. Since 1997, this joint venture is
support from Enza Zaden has played a great role in this
market in Egypt one day. Assem Doss: “And maybe even start
responsible for the fertilizer import and export, and the ammonia
achievement”, explains Assem Doss. “Our company has grown to
seed production for Enza Zaden in Egypt.”
trade. On top of that, it provides the local industry with knowhow.
cover all the vegetable plantation areas in Egypt with highly
“All the large farms in Egypt are customers of Yara”, explains Lau
qualified sales engineers that offer solutions to sustainable
Zwaan, Region Manager Middle East at Enza Zaden. “This joint
agriculture. These engineers are led by our engineer Sherin Zaki,
venture has helped Enza Zaden a lot to enter these farms for seeds
one of the most respected Sales Managers in the Egyptian
thanks to the good relationship and reputation of Assem and
market.” “Assem Doss & Co is one of the few companies in Egypt
Gamal.”
that is not only able to hire good people, but also able to keep
Egypt
them”, adds Zwaan. “This is related to the open and friendly
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country
Partnership with Enza Zaden
culture of the company where people feel that they are respected
that spans from the northeast corner of Africa to the
In June 2002, Assem Doss was contacted by his business friend
and appreciated. This also motivated Enza Zaden to provide all the
southwest corner of Asia, through a land bridge formed
Lau Zwaan whom he knew since the 1980’s. Zwaan: “Assem Doss
technical support needed and invest in sharing our of knowhow.”
by the Sinai Peninsula. The country is almost
& Co. was already one of the most well-known and respected
100,145,000 ha that lies within the North African borders
agricultural companies, but it just lacked a good supplier and
Growth
by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip
knowhow for vegetable seeds. Hiring experienced people and
Thanks to the strong company structure combined with the
and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east,
focusing on the seed business in a separate company could lead
support from Enza Zaden, Assem Doss & Co. now aims to
the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south
to a quick entrance to the market. We therefore discussed how
gradually grow its market share from eight percent to twenty
and Libya to the west. The country population is
the cooperation between Assem Doss & Co. and Enza Zaden
percent from the thirty million Euro vegetable seed market in
estimated to be 85 million according to the FAO
could be of added value for both companies and we came to the
Egypt. Doss: “This growth will come from the Egyptian market
Statistics in 2013, with the majority of inhabitants
conclusion that with focus and dedicated staff we would be able
expansion, from the fact that increasingly more growers shift from
working in agriculture, tourism, industry and services.
to get a fair market share in relatively short time. It did not take
open pollinated varieties to hybrids and, most importantly, by
long to finalize a distribution agreement for the Enza Zaden
taking some of our competitors’ market share. The Egyptian
vegetable seed range for the Egyptian market.”
market potential is huge and our company, having access to all the
Enza Zaden crops, offers our customers the products they ask for.
Therefore, we have seen nothing but incremental growth since the
start of the cooperation between the two companies. Moreover,
Enza Zaden’s sound investment in R&D allows us to maintain a
leading position in the hybrid seeds market and leaves no room for
disappointments.”
The Partnership | 13
In Focus
Dutch trade mission visits
leading vegetable seed company
in Indonesia
Top 3 position in the
Hillenraad 100 list
In 2013, Enza Zaden once again
About 2.2 million Indonesian farming families
have seen a rise in income of more than 3500
percent in the past few years. They work with
vegetable seeds from East-West Seed
Indonesia (Ewindo), that uses Dutch
technology to develop local vegetable
varieties. The varieties are resistant to local
pests and diseases. The vegetable seed
company, by now leading in Indonesia, was
founded by Dutch pioneers in 1990. Last
November, a Dutch trade mission took place
and Deputy Minister Dijksma from Economic
Affairs visited the Ewindo head office on the
island of Java.
After being shown around at the company, the Deputy
moved up in the Hillenraad 100 list, a
leading list of the hundred most
successful Dutch enterprises in the
greenhouse farming sector. From a
number six position in 2012, the
vegetable breeding company has now
reached the absolute top of the list: a
number two position.
The Hillenraad committee praised
Enza Zaden for its multi-local approach
to optimally respond to the worldwide
changes. In this approach locals create
innovative products that meet the
The Dutch trade mission included a visit to the
demands of the local market. “This is
Ewindo head office by Deputy Minister Dijksma
how you stay ahead and in contact
from Economic Affairs (in the middle).
with your customers”, explains the
Minister was noticeably impressed. She noted that
committee. Also the company’s
Ewindo’s impact reaches further than rising incomes
initiative to develop unique concepts
alone. “With these innovative vegetable seeds, Ewindo
together with growers – and often fed
also stimulates the ecological sustainability of the
by the company’s consumer panels –
Indonesian agriculture. The quality seeds suppress the
has grown to almost 50 percent in the market for vegetable
was praised by the jury. The conclusion
need for excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides.”
seeds. To date Ewindo is partnering with about 7,000 seed
of the Hillenraad expert committee:
Earlier, the Deputy Minister had been educated on the
growers and 35,000 pollinator workers, while about 10 million
“A great company that has all the
R&D research and selection process of the vegetable
Indonesian vegetable farmers use Ewindo seeds.
flexibility required.”
seeds.
Dutch roots
The Hillenraad expert
From left to right: ir. Jaap Mazereeuw, Managing
Important player
Although Ewindo is fully managed and staffed by Indonesian
committee, consisting of
Director Enza Zaden; drs. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister
Ewindo shows that modern knowledge of vegetable
nationals, the company has Dutch roots. It was founded in
(former) entrepreneurs
of The Netherlands; Prof. Dr. Eduard Veltkamp,
breeding and seed technology makes a big difference in
1990 by Enza Zaden and East-West Seed, two major Dutch
and managers from the
Chairman Board of Commissioners Enza Zaden.
countries with a developing agricultural sector. The
players in the worldwide market in professional vegetable
horticultural sector,
company uses Dutch R&D to develop new tropical
seeds. When founding Ewindo, Simon Groot (East-West
annually assess the
vegetable varieties and produces and sells their seeds to
Seed) and Piet Mazereeuw (Enza Zaden) had the opinion that
results of over ten
Indonesian farmers. The crops that the Ewindo seeds
local populations should always share benefit of the Dutch
thousand organisations
produce, grow optimally in the Indonesian climate and
knowledge that they disseminate worldwide. With Ewindo,
to ultimately compose
farming conditions to produce high quality vegetables
that has been realised: apart from the farmers themselves,
this prestigious list of
resistant to diseases and pests. In the past 23 years,
the Indonesian trade, retail and processing and vegetable
companies.
Ewindo has developed more than 150 new vegetable
consumers also benefit from better quality vegetable
varieties for the Indonesian horticulture. Its market share
production.
14 | The Partnership
The Partnership | 15
Trends
Within the healthy lifestyle trend two aspects are particularly interesting to
look into a bit more as they relate directly to our business. First of all
associate consumers a healthy diet often with organic produce, resulting in
the demand for organically grown vegetables to grow. Moreover, consumers
want to know what distance their produce has travelled, expressed in socalled ‘food miles’.
Affinity with the sources of food
It’s not just the idea of organic produce being more healthy that consumers
demand for produce that has been grown using sound, clean cultivation
methods. The steady growth is also the result of the consumers acquiring
greater affinity with the sources of their food. They are ever more concerned
about the potential consequences of large-scale, traditional cultivation, i.e.
exhaustion of the arable land. The response to this is an increase in
sustainable organic cultivation, with growers growing different crops each
season.
Food
awareness
Organic cultivation
In 2011 the global acreage used for organic cultivation was around 37.2
million hectares, with Australia representing almost one third of this total,
namely 12.0 million hectares. Argentina follows with 3.8 million, the United
States with 1.9 million, and China and Brazil with 1.8 million hectares each.
Since the year 2000 the organic acreage in the European Union has more or
less doubled. By the end of 2011 the total acreage of the 27 countries of the
European Union had increased to 10.6 million hectares. That’s a rise of 6.0 per
cent relative to 2010.
“The demand for organic seed is increasing slowly but steadily and, in
combination with sustainable cultivation, it presents quite a few challenges”,
says Henk Haitsma, Managing Director of Enza Zaden’s organic subsidiary
Vitalis. The growing demand for organic food for example calls for extra effort
Where does my food come from and how is it produced?
on the part of this company. “The seed needed to meet the demand must
easy to find suitable cultivation locations. Secondly, those locations must be
For quite some time there has been a strong trend towards a
products as organic produce only after they have been working according to
organically certified. Growers may be certified and allowed to sell their
organic guidelines for two years.”
healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet. Consumers want their
increasingly aware of the origins of what they eat.
16 | The Partnership
The website www.foodmiles.com
has published a food miles calculator
allowing consumers to calculate how
many miles the food in the local shop
has travelled. Some fun facts of the
food miles calculator:
first be produced, and that may involve complications. For a start, it’s not so
Questions like these have become more and more important.
food to be more and more healthy and are becoming
Food miles calculator
“The demand for organic seed is
increasing slowly but steadily"
•In total the tool has been used
510066 times.
•Total distance calculated by
the tool (since 17/03/09):
1,888,249,835 miles.
• That is approximately:
75894 times around the earth!
2,456.08 times to the moon
and back!
67.56% of the way to Neptune!
•The average distance calculated is:
3986 miles.
The Partnership | 17
Trends
Green consumption
Supermarket Sainsbury has set out their 2020 vision and part of this is to double
the amount of UK produce by 2020 and thus reduce food miles. It is accepted
though that many products will not fit into this concept but the goal of doubling
their UK produce is across the whole of produce and where economically
practicable.
In January 2007, Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of the Tesco supermarket chain,
promised ‘a revolution in green consumption’ as the company pledged to put
carbon labels on all 70,000 products. Orange juice, toilet rolls and milk were
among the products to have the emissions from their production catalogued. But
then in 2012 Tesco had dropped its plan to label all its products with their carbon
footprint. They blamed the amount of work involved and other supermarkets for
failing to follow its lead.
Price differentiation
Cresswell: “If you want melons, avocados or dragon fruit in winter in the UK,
then consumers know through labelling and common sense of the high food
miles. Carbon labelling has not yet happened and ultimately at this moment in
time it is up to the consumer to make a choice. Supermarkets are continually
placing pressure on suppliers to reduce food miles but as airfreight and fuel
become continuously more expensive, the price differential between local and
imported will inevitably become a natural limiting factor in reducing food based
carbon emissions.”
Food Miles
The awareness of the origins of their vegetables doesn’t limit to just the growing
Desire for local
method used. Consumers also want to know what distance their vegetables have
The press generates a lot of the pressure on supermarkets to reduce their
travelled before they end up in the supermarket shelves.
carbon footprints. All large supermarkets have their own plans to cut down on,
for instance, transport, but it is only truly followed if it is more profitable than
"A single Britons
shopping basket of
26 imported organic
products could have
travelled 241,000
kilometres"
Nowadays, many products are available all year round. Take pumpkins.
trading as they do now. Cresswell: “Recently, there was a lot of bad publicity
In the past, they were only available in autumn in the Netherlands, but
when the local Tesco’s were selling asparagus from Peru in the middle of the UK
Dutch supermarkets now stock them in summer, too. That’s of course all very
season when local supply was plentiful. The chains reasoning was that imports
convenient with respect to a varied diet, but a great disadvantage is that many
helped maintain competitive prices in their shops by increasing competition
products have to be imported from far away, covering long distances to reach their
amongst suppliers. This shows the desire for local produce.”
CO2
Food miles facts
Just some facts:
•It is estimated that the average meal in
the U.S. has travelled 1,500 miles from
the farm to the plate.
•A 240ml cup of yoghurt in a supermarket
shelf in Berlin entails over 9,000
kilometres of transportation.
•A single Britons shopping basket of 26
imported organic products could have
travelled 241,000 kilometres and released
as much CO2 into the atmosphere as an
average Britain four bedroom household
does through cooking meals over eight
months.
•95% of fruit and 50% of vegetables eaten
in the UK are imported.
destinations. That results in high food miles. And that’s a burden on the
environment, for a start because of the CO2 emissions involved in the transport.
Challenges
For both aspects within the healthy lifestyle trend, vegetable breeding companies
Alternatives
play a pivotal role. Enza Zaden’s subsidiary for organic seed, Vitalis, faces great
Consumers are becoming ever more aware of this aspect too, but what alternatives
challenges to meet the growing demand for organic produce. Haitsma: “There is
do they have? This matter of food miles is a hot item in the UK in particular and the
still plenty to be done in the organic market to continue to meet the increasing
Britons respond by growing the products themselves or, even more so, by opting for
demand. However, the demand increases slowly. It’s a challenge, but I think we
seasonal products. “There is an increasing interest in regionally and locally produced
are able to grow evenly with the demand.”
products”, explains Alan Cresswell, Director of Enza Zaden UK. “It appears that in
18 | The Partnership
the UK the food miles debate has evolved slightly to a more realistic conversation
Cresswell also acknowledges the challenges seed companies face in the trend:
about carbon footprint and socio economic factors. All of the big five supermarkets
“The food miles will remain a hot topic and I expect interest in regionally and
have some strategy or vision to reduce their carbon footprint whilst maintaining
locally produced products to further increase. For the future of the environment it
profitability and ethical standards.”
is the seed companies’ challenge to create the local and exotic all year round.”
The Partnership | 19
vegetable evolution
by Joep van Balen | Product Development Manager
It’s fascinating how vegetable variation,
local company Enza Zaden produces the
types and even species evolve over time,
seeds of varieties asked for. We are
over geographic areas and over socio-
challenged to anticipate on future trends
economic developments of the people
and developments and translate these in the
eating them. Take the late introduction of
products, product models, marketing and
tomatoes, potatoes and capsicum peppers
production systems asked for. Traditional
from the new to the old world for instance.
products in different markets disappear, just
And long before that, Arab traders spread
because they no longer meet the
beans and the Romans brought onions to
requirements for taste or shelf-life of
Europe. The Spanish, after being introduced
modern times. They are replaced by other
to this new crop, took it to America.
products of new foreign cultures that people
has gotten to know through holidays,
When people spread the world, so did their
internet and marketing efforts.
vegetable varieties, crops, eating habits and
special dishes. And not just in the past, it
Can we predict what may happen for each
still happens today. So has the increase in
specific local variation? No, not exactly.
hamburger consumption greatly impacted
However, we can combine socio-economic
the consumption of beef tomatoes and
factors with consumption traditions to
iceberg lettuce. This is just an example of
somewhat predict future concepts. Just an
the many developments of the last two
example: in the Philippines a vegetable stew
decades. In this period of time, the
called ‘pinakbet’ is traditionally sold in the
developed world goes through some rapid
market, pre-cut and mixed. In this respect,
changes in vegetable consumption.
this country is to some extent already used
Vegetables – steamed or cooked – are being
to precut or processed vegetables. So, by
replaced by fresh salads. As family sizes
combining this tradition to a socio-
decreased, so did the sizes of vegetables.
economic factor such as decreased time to
Moreover, when time available to prepare
cook, we can ‘predict’ the demand for
food got less and less, cabbages ended up
typical local mixes of vegetables. This will
shredded in plastic bags.
again have effect on the development of the
Developments and trends make our
countries in development. Economic growth
business very dynamic. They guide us to
impacts households, time to cook,
new directions and help us to figure out
purchasing power and ultimately vegetable
possible future demands. I can honestly say
consumption. It is very interesting to predict
that in vegetable seed development there is
how this influences the world. As a multi-
never a dull moment.
Journey
of the
Seed
Joep van Balen works as a Product
Development Manager for Enza Zaden.
Van Balen has years of experience in
breeding projects of open field crops.
He has now specialised in research
programmes in Asia and breeding
projects in Brassica rapa and bittergourd.
All for the sake of ensuring good quality
varieties.
Nowadays, we see very fast changes in the
Product
Column
The journey of the
The Philippines has a vegetable stew
called pinakbet, a mix of equal parts of
basically eggplant, bittergourd, yard long
bean, okra and pumpkin.
The great majority of the seeds that are produced all over the world are transported to Enkhuizen
for further processing. The reactions of visitors show that people have no idea what cleaning
seed actually involves. “They are amazed by the wide variety of activities that take part in our
department and all the operations that have to be carried out for each individual lot of seed,”
says Gerard Bakker, team leader of the Seed Cleaning department.
20 | The Partnership
Product
Breeding
Selecting
Product Development
Marketing & Sales
Clipper
Molecular Markers
Packaging
Seed Upgrading
Journey of the seed
Seed indent cylinder
“For us, every new lot of seed is a new
Great diversity of machines
Seed indent cylinder
challenge. When you’re working with seed
Sometimes the seeds are subjected to extra
A seed indent cylinder efficiently sorts
that is produced at different locations all
drying, but usually the lots are transported
elongated seeds such as cucumber and
over the world no two lots of seed are the
directly from the receiving department to the
lettuce seeds. Any contaminations and
same. The great challenge is to separate the
seed cleaning department. Bakker: “We
seeds that are too short are caught and lifted
seeds of the required quality from inferior
work with many protocols that describe the
out by the indents in the cylinder’s mantle.
seeds and contaminations. That may easily
operations that are to be carried out and
involve at least three operations, to eliminate
which combinations of machines work best.
Double indent cylinder
seeds that are too long, seeds that are too
That is indeed necessary, because with such
A double indent cylinder works in exactly
short and seeds that are too light. For a
a great diversity of machines there are many
the same way as a single indent cylinder,
single lot of lettuce seed of 25 kilos this
different possible combinations.”
except that it also removes seeds that are
means a process of around six hours in
A brief survey of the machines:
too long in addition to the seeds that are too
short. This machine is used for separating
total.”
Phytopathology |
Routine Disease Testing
Seed Health Laboratory
Cell & Tissue Culture
Germination Laboratory
Seed Production
Seed Processing
Facts & figures
of seedprocessing at 750,000 kilos of seed a year, 17,500 assignments a year,
Enza Zaden 50 different protocols, 35 machines, 26 crops, 8 employees
Spiral separator
Clipper
precision seed that may not be too short or
Let’s start at the beginning. After the seeds
This machine removes double seeds,
too long, such as endive seed. So in this
have been produced and preliminarily
misshapen seeds and light seeds from the
machine the seed is passed through two
cleaned by the producers they arrive at
lots. They are all seeds that will not
cylinders. The top cylinder removes the
Enza Zaden’s receiving department. There, a
germinate well. The machine has two
short seeds and the bottom cylinder the
first sample is taken to test the seeds’
screens. The top screen separates double
long seeds.
germination capacity. A preliminary visual
seeds. Misshapen seeds that are too small
inspection provides an impression of the lot.
will fall through the bottom screen too, and
Spiral separator
Bakker: “We then check whether the seed
will subsequently be removed from the lot.
A spiral separator is used to separate round
has been properly dried and what types of
A flow of air then blows away seeds that are
seeds, mostly seeds of cabbage varieties.
contamination it contains. Over the years we
too light from among the seeds remaining
The seed is fed into the machine at the top
have come across many different types of
between the two screens. This machine can
and then rolls down the spiral. As the round
contamination, from vermin to things like
process around 25 kilos per hour.
seeds will run down the spiral faster, they
broken seeds and plant remains. The
will fly off at a tangent, as it were. Flatter,
Production department makes sure that the
inferior seeds and contaminations will
lots that are sent to us are already of the
continue to roll down the spiral and will be
best possible quality. We work closely
collected and removed at the bottom.
together with that department to further
improve the quality of the received lots.
Together with our colleagues we then
determine which combination of machines
to use to separate the seeds of high quality
Separation on the basis of:
• weight • size • colour • shape
from those of inferior quality.”
22 | The Partnership
The Partnership | 23
Product
Machines developed in-house
Immy is the pride of Meindert Klooster, Seed Technologist at Enza Zaden.
It is the first in a series of machines that are being developed for individual
seed sorting to improve the quality of the seed of commercial lots of
various crops using different aspects of vision technology. The machines
are being developed in cooperation with a technical partner. This machine
was named after the employee who sorted cucumber seeds by hand until
the machine became available. Klooster: “Immy is what we call a visual
separator; it works with skimming light. It digitally records each seed and
assesses its quality on the basis of its visual characteristics.”
The latest arrival, a machine called Tommy that is intended for sorting
Colour separator
tomato seed, goes a step further. “This machine also takes digital photos
Seed Cleaning department
of each individual seed, but in this case they are X-ray photos, in which the
internal morphology of the seed can be examined. The photos show the
embryo, the seedling’s precursor, rolled up inside the seed. If it is tightly
curled up like a snail’s shell, the seed is good. If not, the seed is removed
from the lot with the aid of small air pulses.”
Seed gravity separator table
Innovations in this field are also
In a seed gravity separator table air is
tremendously important. Machines
Until a few years ago machines of this quality were not yet available.
blown through the machine from the
developed in-house are indispensable,
Prompted by the great need for individual seed sorting, Enza Zaden
bottom. Inside the machine a vibrating
so we invest a lot of energy in designing
decided to start developing such machines itself. “Being involved in the
slope separates light seed with a low
such machines. ”We work closely
germination capacity to the left and the
together with other departments, such
specifications of the various machines to our company’s specific needs,
Seed Technologist Meindert Klooster has developed a series of
seed of superior quality, which is
as the Seed Technology department.
gain useful knowledge and experience and retain our technical edge over
sorting machines to improve the commercial seed lot quality.
heavier, to the right.
They develop machines that enable us
development of this technology ourselves means we are able to gear the
to refine our cleaning efforts.” A new
our competitors.”
Colour separator
upgraded machine was recently
And finally there is also a colour
purchased for this purpose: an air
separator, which removes all seeds of a
separator that uses flows of air to
deviating colour. This machine is used
separate seeds that are too light and
only for lots containing seeds of
seeds that are too heavy. Bakker: “Those
deviating colours or weed remains. This
seeds have a poor germination capacity.
is the last step in the cleaning process.
We already had a smaller version of the
This machine works exceptionally fast
machine, but this larger variant enables
and is capable of processing 400 to 500
us to work much faster.” Bakker hastens
kilos of seed per hour.
to add that, in spite of all this state-ofthe-art technology, cleaning seed is
Innovative machines developed inhouse are indispensable. A series of
machines have been developed for
individual seed sorting to improve the
quality of the commercial seed lots.
24 | The Partnership
Larger versions
above all a specialist job calling for a
The growth of Enza Zaden also meant a
high level of expertise. “What was true
substantial increase in the volume of
in the past is still true today: our
seed lots to be processed. So over the
employees know precisely which
Immy - Immy is a so-called
Tommy - Tommy is intended for sorting
years larger versions of the
combinations of machines and which
visual separator, a machine used
for cucumber seed lots. It
digitally records each seed and
assesses its quality on the basis
of its visual characteristics.
tomato seed and the machine goes a step
further than his brother Immy. This machine
takes X-ray photos, in which the internal
morphology of the seed can be examined.
aforementioned separating machines
machine settings are needed to ensure
have been taken into use to clean the
that all the operations result in seed of
bulk lots. This process of expansion will
the highest quality.”
"Our employees
know precisely
which
combinations
of machines are
needed."
only increase in the future.
The Partnership | 25
ocused
fmarketing with
brands
Marketing
on
sumer
C
Brand awareness
Consumers are quite often dissatisfied with the tomatoes they find
parties in the chain, together with our partners. We for example
on the supermarket shelves. And so are the supermarkets and their
invited the trade press for a tour. That press focuses less on
suppliers that supply these products for them. Van den Heuvel:
growers than on traders and retailers in Britain, Germany and the
“They just don’t know what to expect. One day a supermarket may
Netherlands. We entered into discussions with chain parties at
receive a supply of variety X, and the next day that may be variety
various trade fairs all over the world, such as the Fruit Logistica
Y. Sometimes the tomatoes will be of good quality and flavour, but
and our House Fair in Spain. In our talks we paid a lot of attention
often enough they will be disappointing. Because of things like
to our concepts focusing on growers and the supermarkets’ main
this, supermarkets lose customers or consumers stop buying
suppliers. Our employees also visit supermarket organisations or
tomatoes altogether for some time.”
their main suppliers together with our chain partners, to tell them all
about TomAzur®. But what really boosted publicity was the award
This prompted the birth of TomAzur®. The aim was to promote
that this brand won. In December 2012, the tomatoes sold under
brand awareness by marketing a clearly recognisable brand
the TomAzur® brand were proclaimed the tastiest tomatoes in
covering only varieties that always guarantee good quality, flavour
Spain.”
and presentation. The supermarkets and consumers then know
precisely what they are buying, and are assured of a top product
Increased acreage
all the year round. That creates confidence throughout the entire
The outcome of all these efforts is that the TomAzur® acreage will
chain and in all forms of cooperation.
be more than ten times as large next year. The brand is now also
on sale in the leading German and British supermarket chains Rewe
The market in which we are active is in a
constant state of flux. Consumer-focused
marketing has become more important
than ever. But what exactly does it entail?
In a nutshell, it amounts to marketing
concepts as brands together with chain
partners such as growers, growers’
cooperatives, traders and supermarkets.
Publicity boost
and Tesco. And these are only the first steps. Besides in Europe,
“We started to promote TomAzur® as soon as we knew how we
efforts to promote the brand are now also being made in Mexico
could guarantee constant quality,” says Van den Heuvel. “What we
and the US.
did was continuously call attention to the brand among different
“Our starting point in marketing is of course always the question how
we can create added value for the entire chain with innovative
products,” explains Maarten van den Heuvel, Marketing Manager at
Enza Zaden. “We talk and listen to all parties along the chain to
enable us to ensure that our products meet all their wishes and
needs. But that’s not always enough. And that’s why we more and
more often enter into partnerships with chain partners so as to be
able to successfully market concepts together.” Van den Heuvel
mentions the brands TomAzur® and Tribelli® as successful examples of
this approach. Those brands were both created together with Spanish
Sweet Antonio,
the TomAzur®
brand at the British
supermarket Tesco.
Edle Ernte, the
TomAzur® brand
at the German
supermarket Rewe.
Our partner Del Campo
launched TomAzur® at the
American trade fair PMA under
the brand name ‘T’mates’.
chain partners, and are now becoming popular all over the world.
The Partnership | 27
Marketing
Product
Tribelli®, recognisably the tastiest
And there is more! The close cooperation with growers,
Cooperation with international partners is also proving to be the
cooperatives, traders and supermarkets soon revealed new
key to success in the case of our Tribelli® brand. The consumption
opportunities for genetics. This year an XL variant was added to the
of snacks, treats and convenience food is intensifying, and offers
brand: Tribelli® XL. They are also deliciously sweet pointed sweet
attractive opportunities in both the US and Western Europe.
peppers available in red, orange and yellow, only they are a bit larger
The intention is for Tribelli® Minis, the original, deliciously sweet
than the Minis. They are sold in packs of three with a total weight of
pointed snack sweet peppers in three colours, to capture the
about 300 grams. Van den Heuvel: “Next year we are going to
market, and Enza Zaden is already working hard to realise that aim.
intensify our efforts to promote this new version of our brand, so
TomAzur®
Van den Heuvel: “What we hope to achieve is that traders and
The three distinguishing characteristics of TomAzur® are:
retailers will start asking specifically for Tribelli®. That will only
Success thanks to cooperation
Tribelli® was launched as a brand at Enza Zaden’s House
good quality, flavour and presentation. The brand makes
happen if the brand’s distinguishing characteristics, such as its
Besides the fact that they of course represent good varieties,
Fair in Spain in 2012. The brand has its own logo,
it clear to all the links in the chain that the tomatoes sold
high quality, constant sweet flavour and availability in three different
the two brands both owe their success largely to good, close
packaging and website to boost familiarity with it and
under this registered trademark have these distinguishing
colours, are unambiguous and clearly recognisable for traders.
cooperation with chain partners and between the international
encourage the market to ask for this specific brand if it
characteristics. In other words, thanks to TomAzur®, the
Consumer surveys have shown that our mini sweet peppers are
teams. “Going further down the chain automatically means crossing
wants the original, deliciously sweet mini pointed sweet
entire chain is assured of tomatoes that meet the quality
the tastiest, and we must make the most of that.”
borders. That makes it even more important for us to work closely
peppers in the colours yellow, orange and red.
requirements of all the chain parties.
Promotion
going to further expand our activities relating to these brands, with
The varieties that are sold under the Tribelli® mini brand are
TomAzur® was registered as a brand two years ago, and
Once the Tribelli® brand had been introduced on the market,
new genetics and more chain partners. There are more steps that
grown in Spain. Besides on the local market, they are also
last year the variety sold under this brand was for the first
Enza Zaden and its Spanish trade partner started to promote it
will have to be taken, but we are definitely on the right track.”
sold in northwestern Europe, so our chain partners in the
time grown on a commercial basis in Spain. TomAzur® is
together, and in doing so immediately attracted a lot of international
UK, Germany, Scandinavia and the Netherlands are also
also sold in northwestern Europe, just like Tribelli®.
attention. Maarten: “From the very start we have also been making
Tribelli® all over the world
that traders will in future also ask for Tribelli® XL.”
together with our international colleagues. The coming years we are
efforts to bring Tribelli® to the attention of traders and retailers in
closely involved in the brand.
Germany, Scandinavia and the UK by means of advertisements,
Enza Zaden has for some years been working together
banners and promotion at international fairs. Those efforts have
with a partner in the US to develop the mini sweet pepper
been successful: Tribelli® is now also available in supermarkets in
segment in that country’s retail channel. There, our partner
those countries.”
sells these products under its own brand name: Mighty
Minis. In Mexico, the first steps have meanwhile been
taken to introduce Tribelli® XL on the market.
sun & sea
taste
color & shape
beauty
quality & availability
trust
Tribelli® stands for the original,
deliciously sweet mini pepper
varieties in three colours.
28 | The Partnership
This year the XL variant
Tribelli® XL was added to the
Tribelli® brand.
The Partnership | 29
In Focus
Event c a l e n d a r
International Conferences, Exhibitions and Field Days, 2014
Fruit Logistica
Colophon
The Partnership is published by
Enza Zaden Export B.V.
Editing, concept & layout
Enza Zaden, Communications department,
Recreatieparc ontwerpbureau.
From 5 - 7 February, Fruit Logistica, the leading international meeting place of the
fresh produce trade, takes place in Berlin again. For several years now, Enza Zaden
is present as an exhibitor with its own booth. Why is this specialist trade fair so
important for Enza Zaden?
“For Enza Zaden the Fruit Logistica is a perfect platform to
Maarten van den Heuvel, Marketing Manager at Enza Zaden,
find new customers and to make first contacts”, explains
adds: “The main theme of the Enza Zaden stand this year is
Christof Flörchinger, Regional Sales Director Central Europe.
co-creation. Working together within the chain becomes
“It is also a great opportunity to meet many of our best
increasingly more important. The Fruit Logistica is a perfect
customers in a short period of time. At the Fruit Logistica we
platform to meet each other and exchange ideas about the
always have good and positive discussions.”
latest fresh produce trends and developments. Together we
find the questions and challenges the market presents and
Week Month
Events
Location
Country
4
January
C
ASTA
Scottsdale, AZ
USA
6
February
E
Fruit Logistica
Berlin
Germany
8
February
C
Indian Seed Congress
Gujarat
India
10
March
C
AFSTA
Tunis
Tunisia
11
March
FD Jordan Field Days
19
May
E
Jordan
together we develop innovative answers. Co-creation, that’s
what it’s all about.”
Horti ASIA
Bangkok
Thailand
In this edition contributions from:
Giuseppe Arnesi; Gerard Bakker; Joep van
Balen; Alan Cresswell; Assem Doss, Assem
Doss & Co.; Marcello Fioravanti; Oleg
Glaudouniak; Matthijs Groot; Henk Haitsma;
Maarten van den Heuvel; Olha Hryhorashyk;
Rob Keene; Meindert Klooster; Dick Vriend;
Laurens Zwaan.
Pictures
Assem Doss & Co., Egypt; Buna Ziua Iasi,
Romania; Cultivate Oxfordshire Ltd, UK;
Pieter Prins Fotografie, The Netherlands;
Recreatieparc ontwerpbureau, The
Netherlands; Schuttelaar & Partners, The
Netherlands; Shutterstock, Inc. USA;
Zuidkoop B.V., The Netherlands.
Tips for the editors team?
[email protected]
22
May
C
ISF
Beijing
China
26
June
FD Demo Argentina
Argentina
36
September
E
Asia Fruit Logistica
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
37
September
FD
Enza Zaden Germany
Open Day
Dannstadt
Germany
44
October
E
Indagra
Bucharest
Romania
47
November
C
APSA
Macau
China
49
December
E
Growtech Eurasia
Antalya
Turkey
50
December
FD Asia Field Days
Pune
India
Enza Zaden Export B.V.
P.O. Box 7
1600 AA Enkhuizen
The Netherlands
T +31 228 350 100
E [email protected]
W www.enzazaden.com
©January 2014 | Enza Zaden Export B.V. |
Enkhuizen | The Netherlands
All rights reserved. While every care was taken in the
preparation of this magazine, no responsibility can be
accepted for any inaccuracies. Enza Zaden has attempted
to trace all copyrights of illustrations used. If proper
acknowledgments have not been made, however, we ask
copyright holders to contact Enza Zaden.
C = Conference | E = Exhibition | FD = Field Day
30 | The Partnership
The Partnership | 31
the p
ower of
co-creation
How do we ensure to
develop innovative products
and concepts
that offer added
value to the
entire chain?
This is a topic we deal with
on a daily basis at Enza Zaden.
Due to dynamic markets,
it’s increasingly more important
to differentiate your products
from those of others. Nowadays
you need to sell more than just
vegetables. That’s why working
together within the chain becomes
more and more important.
At Enza Zaden we like to get into
dialogue with you to see what we can
achieve together.
We very much welcome you to visit us at our booth.
Visit us
Fruit Logistica
Hall 1.2
Booth C-07
5-7 February
the power of co-creation
the power of Enza Zaden
Hein Bemelmans
Managing Director Marketing & Sales
enzazaden.com
The Fruit Logistica is a perfect platform to meet
each other and exchange ideas about the latest
fresh vegetable trends and developments.
Together we can find the questions and challenges the
market presents and develop innovative answers. After
all, co-creation is the basis of our mutual success.