Peru: Great potential for hydroponic lettuce

Peruvian greenhouse grower Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú is offering its customers healthy and natural food with a high nutritional value. "This is our mission," emphasises owner Miguel Uccelli. "The best way to produce consistent and healthy vegetables is with a hydroponics system. Rijk Zwaan also saw opportunities to develop hydroponic lettuce as a new market segment in Peru and this is why we are collaborating."

Bonny Zambrano (l) of Bozelt Seeds, distributor for Rijk Zwaan, Andres Campos, Production Manager (m) and Miguel Uccelli of Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú (r).

Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú was founded in 1997 and is a pioneer in hydroponic greenhouse cultivation. Miguel Uccelli: "Lettuce is the main crop we grow on water by far. We can better regulate the conditions. The heads also remain very clean in this system: there is no soil or residue on the crop."

The Peruvian growers are especially fond of the breed Flandria RZ. "The crop is of uniform quality all year round, even during the summer months. This is good, as a lot of butterhead lettuce is consumed in this period."

Butterhead Lettuce

Uccelli is now testing three new varieties in Peru: Rex RZ, Cosmopolia RZ and Zendria RZ. Cosmopolia could be a very good alternative to Flandria, as the average weight per head is higher. A second good addition is wide resistance to Bremia. According to the owner the market welcomed Invernaderos Hidropónicos del Perú's products well. "Most products are sold in local supermarkets, such as Wong's and I notice that the demand for hydroponic products is increasingly quickly."

Source: Chainmail, Rijk Zwaan

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