Hazera has acquired a new greenhouse next to their headquarters in Made, the Netherlands.
Yossi Shapiro, Head of R&D of Hazera says: “Our goal to establish ourselves as one of the leaders in the high-tech tomato market with our mid- to long-term plan, as there is strong competition there.” Yossi also adds: “This goal was the primary motivation to invest in a state-of-the-art active tomato greenhouse, as you need the best facilities to compete with the best.”
Through the new high-tech tomato project Hazera aims to empower its tomato portfolio worldwide. Particularly so because the project has received investment and support from Limagrain Group.
Backyard transformation
According to Yossi multiple options were considered, such as renovating existing facilities or building a greenhouse from scratch. However, he says: “The answer was right in our backyard: to buy an industry-grade, commercial greenhouse operation, that we can readily transform into a research facility with the help of our experts.” The transition towards a research facility will be supported by André van Zeijl, the previous owner of the greenhouse and an independent grower for over 25 years.
With technology and a focus on producing seeds through GSPP, Hazera aims to elevate its research capabilities. By acquiring an existing facility, Hazera intends to demonstrate its focus on sustainability.
Resistance, yield, and taste
When talking about Hazera’s position in the tomato market, Yossi notes: “This greenhouse provides us with the opportunity to further improve yield, fruit quality, and commercial appeal of those varieties, and to implement the innovative techniques and technologies which will increase our efficiency, enhance the R&D outcomes, and accelerate time to market.”
Yossi continues, “The Netherlands is the birthplace and center of the global high-tech tomato industry, so it is a natural location for us to launch this program.” "But the goal of all our efforts is to develop hybrid high-tech tomato varieties to meet the evolving needs of our grower customers, wherever they may be, so they can serve the needs of their customers".
A vision for tomorrow
Further Yossi says: “By combining our new active greenhouse research facility in Made, the expertise we have in developing leading tomato varieties, and our experience in customer engagement, we expect to play an important role in the high-tech tomato industry.” Yossi concludes with the words that "there’s an exciting opportunity to grow this part of our business, and it starts with R&D."
For more information:
Hazera Seeds B.V.
www.hazera.com