News

Grocery retailer SPAR International and vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan have been collaborating closely for more than a decade, resulting in numerous successful value chain projects together. On Tuesday 8 November, at SPAR International’s exclusive business briefing dinner, the retailer recognised this long-standing partnership by presenting Rijk Zwaan with its ‘Fresh Supplier of the Year’ award.

In the 2021/2022 financial year, vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan generated a total net turnover of €534 million and invested 30% of its turnover back into research and development.

Rijk Zwaan is once again organising its Hydroponic and Open Field Demos in the Netherlands this autumn. From 19 September onwards, the vegetable breeding company will be presenting numerous innovative varieties and concepts for both indoor and outdoor production. At the Open Field Demo there will be four new leek varieties on display, for instance, plus the company’s clubroot-resistant cauliflower varieties which have been developed in response to today’s production challenges. During the Hydroponic Demo, the company’s range of striking red lettuce varieties and productive greens will be in the spotlight, while another highlight will be Rijk Zwaan’s colourful Salatrio mixes. Both demos will run in parallel from 19-29 September, with the Open Field Demo then continuing until 14 October.

After a three-year wait, Rijk Zwaan is excited to finally be participating in Asia Fruit Logistica again in Bangkok from 2-4 November 2022. At its stand (F-17), the vegetable breeding company will be presenting a palette of bright, healthy and inspiring fruits and vegetables that contribute to a ‘Colourful Life’. Just before the trade fair, Rijk Zwaan is organising its own unique Melon Event which will zoom in on the relevant trends affecting this important category in Asia.

On 7 September, Rijk Zwaan organised a Customer Appreciation Event in Leamington, Canada, based around the theme: ‘All about cucumbers’. During the event, a panel of cucumber experts shared an interesting peek behind the scenes in various parts of the cucumber cycle. The event was attended by around 100 partners, both live and digitally.

Rijk Zwaan is taking innovation to new heights in snack cucumbers by focusing on high wire varieties with the combination of Powdery Mildew (PM) and Cucumber Green Mottled Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) resistance. This is the latest development in the company’s ever-growing range of flavoursome snack cucumbers in various sizes and colours, all with the best possible resistances to help growers harvest a healthy crop.

Rijk Zwaan is pleased to announce the upcoming edition of its annual Global Melon and Watermelon Event. The vegetable breeder’s beautiful melon and watermelon varieties will be on display at Rijk Zwaan’s Experimentation and Development Center (CED La Palma) in Cartagena, Murcia (Spain) from 4-12 July.

Fusarium is a major threat in lettuce. The fungus can damage the lettuce via the root system in both protected and open-field crops, resulting in a loss of yield. In 2015, a new variant of Fusarium in lettuce, race 4 (Fol: 4), was identified in Europe. In May 2022, the International Seed Federation officially established a harmonised test protocol for claiming resistance to this race. Many of Rijk Zwaan’s existing lettuce varieties are resistant to the new variant of Fusarium.

Rijk Zwaan’s Hydroponics Leaf and Outdoor demos are on the agenda again in June, showcasing the vegetable breeding company’s new, colourful and high-tech vegetable varieties. In fact, both demos will run in parallel from 13-24 June, with the Outdoor demo then continuing until 1 July. During the Hydroponics Leaf Demo, Rijk Zwaan’s living lettuce concepts Salatrio® and Salanova® will be put in the spotlight. Other eye-catchers will be the company’s high-density Salanova Teenleaf and a new variety with burger-sized lettuce leaves. Meanwhile, the Outdoor Demo will highlight Rijk Zwaan’s extensive range of leafy varieties and the attractive cauliflower varieties with magnetising colours and shapes.

Rijk Zwaan is gearing up for a busy schedule of interesting local and internationally oriented events in the month of June. In less than four weeks’ time, the vegetable breeding company will be presenting its promising new and colourful varieties at its own Hydroponics and Outdoor Demo. In parallel, Rijk Zwaan will be sharing its knowledge and services related to high-tech cultivation at GreenTech in Amsterdam. Simultaneously, the company will be welcoming visitors to heir Fruit Crop Pop-up demo.