On Tuesday 6 October, the ambassador of the United States in the Netherlands, Mr. Timothy Broas, visited Enza Zaden in Enkhuizen. Together with Mrs. Susan Phillips and Mr. Bob Flach of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Mr. Alec Boydston of the U.S. Commercial Service, the ambassador was taken for a tour of the Enkhuizen premises and given an introduction to the world of vegetable breeding.
“This visit has largely broadened my perspective of the vegetable seed sector. I had no idea that the Netherlands is such a huge player in the vegetable breeding and seed industry,” Mr. Boas stated. “I’m especially impressed by the high level of innovation and hightech activities of Enza Zaden,” he continued.
The ambassador paid special attention to the development of organic vegetable varieties, in which Enza Zaden’s subsidiary Vitalis is specialised. Managing Director Jaap Mazereeuw of Enza Zaden: “In the United States the demand and interest for organic produce has been increasing considerably over the last few years. Vitalis offers our growers a diverse assortment of high quality certified organic seeds for open field, high tunnel and heated greenhouses, worldwide.”