Expansion at Axia Seeds: The seed breeder is planning to build a new greenhouse in Naaldwijk. This is necessary, since the introduction of the first commercial varieties is scheduled for 2015. Meanwhile, the first of the company's hybrid variety trials are underway at various growers around the globe.
GSPP certification
Axia Seeds has plans to expand. When the Westland municipality issues the permit for the planned construction of a new office, building will be underway. There are also plans to add 6700 meters of glass to the existing greenhouse complex. "We’ve only been active in our present building for two years," laughs co-founder Sandor van Vliet, “but already we’re in need of some extra room. The expansion provides space to include a demonstration greenhouse, separated from the high-security processing greenhouses. We also need more quarantine rooms for the GSPP certification."
Breeder Leo Braams showcases the latest Axia products.
Market Information
The seed company maintains short communication lines with the whole chain and operates based in part on this market information. "You have to develop varieties that the market demands,” says Van Vliet. "And then there’s health. We see a lot of opportunities for varieties high in lycopene, but unfortunately there’s as yet little enthusiasm within the chain. The rules on health claims are tricky. Everyone knows that tomatoes are good for preventing cancer, but you can’t write it down. For trade, a high lycopene content is not a requirement. We not only focus on the large segment, however, but also on the specialities and the elite segment. In five years we want to be represented in all three of these segments. In addition, we’ll continue to strive for varieties with a high content of healthy ingredients.”
