We want to grow the snack cucumber market together

Packaged to order

Making life easier for supermarket chains throughout Europe: that’s the promise FreshValley delivers on every day. From six production locations, amounting to 30 hectares in total, the growers’ organisation supplies strawberries, cherry tomatoes on the vine, long cucumbers and mini cucumbers – packaged to order, delivered on schedule. At the beginning of 2024, snack cucumbers were added to the portfolio. Measuring 8 to 12cm, they are somewhat smaller than the mini cucumbers. “When grower Ad Verhoeven wound up his business, he was keen to help us take over his cultivation activities. Specialties suit us well, so we were happy to move into that gap,” says Teun.

Packaged to order FreshValley

The tastiest snack cucumber

They chose to grow the new high-mildew-resistant variety Quantario RZ – the successor to Qwerty RZ. “Personally, I think this is the tastiest snack cucumber on the market. Thanks to the mildew resistance, we don’t need so many pest management interventions. And production-wise, the variety is performing really well. In the meantime, we’re continuing to test new Rijk Zwaan varieties and share crop-related knowledge.”

Cultivation challenges

The crop is not without its challenges, according to Teun. It demands not only precision, but also a lot of time because of the intensive crop maintenance and harvesting process. Moreover, the labour planning and logistics planning must be perfectly aligned. “Snack cucumbers require a lot of attention, from when they are sown right through to harvest. We must maintain a continuously high level of product quality, while also being able to respond flexibly to market demand. We try to reach clear agreements with customers in advance,” Teun explains.

Cultivation challenges FreshValley

Growing the market together

FreshValley not only works closely with Rijk Zwaan in relation to the crop, but also to further develop the market. Teun places a high value on their partnership. “We regularly exchange ideas about market opportunities with Chain Manager Maarten van der Leeden. After all, Rijk Zwaan has connections with retailers all over Europe. We want to grow the market together by finding new customers for our snack cucumbers.”

Children love them

This approach seems to be succeeding, as FreshValley recently gained a discount retailer as a customer. “In addition to the supermarket chains in the Netherlands, a growing number of retailers in Germany, Belgium and Scandinavia are adding snack cucumbers to their shelves. And children love them. At the start of a new school year, retailers like to run special offers. Three snack items for €5 works well. We won’t rest until every lunch box contains one of our snack cucumbers.”

Great market potential

Teun is optimistic about the future. “We’ve only just started. We believe the snack cucumber has great market potential, especially in our neighbouring countries. Along with Rijk Zwaan, we will continue working on that. I believe in chain-wide collaboration, from breeder to retailer. That’s how we create new opportunities and are able to celebrate successes.”

At Rijk Zwaan, we aim to create a sustainable, positive impact for the world’s food supply by caring for innovation, caring for our partners, and caring for your growth. Visit our team in Hall 1.2, D-13 at Fruit Logistica 2025 to explore how our commitment to care can help you thrive in today’s ever-evolving market. You can also arrange a guided tour in the Retail Centre in Berlin – our company’s very own retail experience facility.